


Just his luck

by WizardKnight



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur is a tease, Blood, Cafe worker Merlin, Death, Fluff, Kilgarrah the cat, London, M/M, Merlin has no luck, Multi, Violence, mob boss arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-04-18 15:01:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 37,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4710239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardKnight/pseuds/WizardKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is a regular man living in London Uk. He works in his friends Cafe and owns the worlds grumpiest cat know to mankind, Oh yeah and he also has zero luck when it comes to his life</p><p>Arthur is the ruthless mob boss known across London and the United kingdom for his violent and bloody life style, he is feared from the poorest of man to the highest in command, he rules London and everyone know it</p><p>Merlin just so happens to bump into one of his "Knights" and this changes not only Merlin's simple life, but also Arthur's violent one</p><p>Love, violence and friendship happen to two men who are from complete opposite sides of life, but some how it works out in the end</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad luck

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah it popped into my head and here we are. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy and please comment and leave kudo's as its always appreciated 
> 
> not beta'd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Newly beta'd kindly by mapofthestars

Well, it all started because Merlin had about as much luck as a fish on land. No matter what the weather, season or week day, Merlin always found that day’s bad luck, whether it was the small things like forgetting to boil the kettle before poring it on a tea bag or the big stuff like being hit by a speeding car that led to him being in hospital for weeks with a broken leg, ribs and concussion. Oh the joys of Merlin’s life!

Luckily Merlin hadn’t been hit by a speeding car recently and was fully healed but he did have one big problem that loomed over him like a winter plague in the middle of December. And that problem was Arthur Pendragon.

Doesn’t sound too bad really when you don’t know Arthur. Well, it was bad, because Arthur wasn’t like normal men, oh no, Arthur was a one of a kind man that no one ever wanted to see, know or hear about. Because he was the well know mob boss of London and know across Great Britain and most likely further for his ruthless life style and the devastation that he and his boys left in his wake. Whenever someone crossed his bad side, then that person never lived to tell the tale of what they had done. The only thing they became was a cold dead corpse on the cold wet side streets of London or in a body bag at the bottom of the river. No one every found them, but everyone knew there were bodies there because that’s what happened when you were involved in the underground life style that corrupted the London streets and murdered for it.

Even the police stayed clear of Pendragon and his boys, known to everyone as the Knights. The police turned their backs as the bodies piled up on the streets of London because no one was above Pendragon. Even the major’s and prime minister were below the man whom everyone talked about in hush tones. He was the main character of all the scary stories that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

And well, I bet you’re all wondering how a guy like Merlin got involved with such a deadly man. Well, it started when Merlin was leaving his job in London city centre, a small coffee shop called Albion that saw more than 1000 people a week from regulars to tourists as they milled in and out ordering coffee’s and sandwiches. It was a simple but hard job and Merlin loved it. 

It was late when he left the shop, saying goodbye to the owner, his friend Gwen, as she locked the doors and left in the opposite direction. The street lamps lit the way to the underground like a golden glow showing the way home. Luckily it was only a five minute walk so it wasn’t so bad, even at 10.30pm when the usually busy streets were silent and deserted, as the minutes ticked by leaving it darker and lonelier than the busy hours of day.

And you must all be thinking how a guy like Merlin managed to find a problem at that hour on a deserted path but this was Merlin and even he could find something to cause trouble or make his life harder, because that was just his luck.

He was nearing the underground and could hear the dull roar of the trains below his feet. He smiled to himself because he was just that little bit closer to his flat, which was one stop away once he had gotten his train and then a 10 minute walk from that station home. He couldn’t wait to finally get out of this cold winter weather and into the warm comfort of his home. He could almost feel the warmth now and picture his cat, Kilgharrah, waiting for him so he picked up his pace, trying to reach his final destination quicker. One hand was occupied holding a caramel latte, ‘his favourite’, and the other was searching through his rucksack trying to find his pass, when he walked straight into someone, spilling his latte all over them. He really needs to master the art of multitasking because in all his 23 years, he hadn’t and that’s what caused problems like this one.

It wasn’t till he looked up from his rucksack that he saw the broad shoulders and the immaculate suit of the man he’d walked into. He smiled up shyly because how tall was this guy, seriously. For a second he thought he’d run into a mountain, but then the guy turned around to face him and looked down at a very shy and slightly nervous looking Merlin. 

Merlin looked from the guys face to his body and he noticed the crest on the guys suit pocket straight away. It was a well known crest and one people didn’t ever want to see in real life. That was the crest of a golden dragon and that meant one thing. “Pendragon”…. Shit.

A small whimper left Merlin’s throat and he wasn’t proud of it. He was a grown man, but he was like everyone else that wasn’t a knight or Pendragon. So he wouldn’t feel too bad for sounding like a small child at the dentist for the first time. Luckily for him, no one was around to hear the whimper so no one needed to know. Ever.

Then it hit him. No one was around to see him and he was standing next to a knight of the Pendragon mob that he’d not only walked into but spilt hot coffee over. He was a dead man. A seriously dead man who would never be found and his mother would go on with her life wondering where her one and only beloved child had disappeared too.

Could he not just catch a small break in his life?

The guy just stood looking at Merlin with one eyebrow raised and Merlin wanted to laugh. He opened his mouth to speak but the only noise to leave was a little squeak that made the man huff out a small laugh which made Merlin jumpier than before because he knew he was the mouse trapped by the cat and just by looking at this mountain of a man he knew he was going to play with his kill before finally finishing the job.

“Name …” the mountain of a man spoke and his voice traveled through the night air. His voice was just as deep as Merlin knew it would be and Merlin wanted to laugh now because really, why him.

“M….Merlin” he stuttered, like an idiot. ‘Stupid, stupid idiot’ he scolded himself why not just give a fake name; they’d never know or care.

“You know you’ve ruined my suit.” The man spoke again, wiping away some of the coffee drops that stained his suit.

“Sorry,” he managed to say without a stutter then rolled his eyes at himself. ‘Pathetic idiot’, like these men cared about apologises. “I can pay for it to be laundered.” He looked down the whole time, just waiting for the strike he knew must be coming soon. Because well, he’d been here five minutes so his untimely death must be near? 

“Just go.” The man said and stepped around him and towards the car Merlin hadn’t even seen parked at the side of the road. Had it been there all along? ‘Oh who cares’ his mind supplied as he ran, literally ran down the road towards the safety of the underground. But as he ran away he could hear the laughter behind him over his heavy footfalls as he made it further and further away from the Pendragon and closer to home.

He finally made it home half an hour later than usual, bolted his doors and turned on every light possible. Even his cat gave him a funny look before walking off towards the kitchen, waiting to be fed. He didn’t sleep great that night, even as he hugged an unhappy Kilgharrah close to his chest. Maybe he should get a guard dog, he mused.


	2. meeting

A week passed and Merlin’s nerves were starting to finally settle after his run-in with one of the knights. He’d not seen nor heard anything further from them, not even a dry cleaning bill, which was good because he really didn’t have the money for that. 

The next day was like any other in the café as people ordered and either sat at one of the tables provided or left to enjoy the rest of their day. The sky outside was grey and overcast and the wind was picking up making the few trees in the area move from side to side.

There weren’t many people inside; only 8 of the 15 tables were occupied so even the volume in the shop was quieter than usual. The line was small and moving along quickly as Merlin rung up orders and Gwen completed them with her usual easy smile, making the costumers smile before leaving the shop or taking a seat.

Each time the little bell above the door rang, Merlin looked up waiting to see mountain man again, thinking he’d finally come to finish him off, after deciding it was more fun to kill him than let him walk (run) away.

“You’ve been so jumpy lately.” Gwen’s voice broke through his hazy mind. “It’s nothing really,” he smiled round at her but he knew she wasn’t convinced by the look she had on her face. “Really?” He turned around to take the order of the old gentleman but didn’t miss the hum behind him saying that she didn’t believe him. She knew him too well and he knew he was crap at lying, but she didn’t bring it up again, which he appreciated because he really didn’t want to talk about it.

The hours ticked by and the sky grew darker but the line never thinned inside the shop. It was now filled mostly by men and woman in posh suits wanting a coffee-to-go for their journey home.

It was 9.30 when it finally quietened down and the line of people became less frequent. Only two tables were occupied in the shop and the hushed whisper from the conversations filled the shop leaving Merlin to daydream.

No one came in or left the shop for over 15 minutes and Merlin was bored. The people at the tables were chatting quietly, still drinking their orders so he couldn’t clean the tables. There was another 45 minutes to go before closing so he couldn’t even clean the coffee machine because there was always that one person that came in just before closing for a last minute hot beverage, so he leant his hip against the counter and waited out the last remaining bit of his shift. Gwen had left early to go on a date, so he was on his own to lock up tonight but he didn’t mind. It was rare for Gwen to go out so he had happily said he would work alone. 

It was 10.20 when the last table emptied and he nodded a goodbye as the two people left the shop. He picked up his rag and walked over to clean the table and stacked the chairs ready for closing.

The bell went not a second later and he huffed because really, who needs coffee now that they couldn’t make at home, but he picked his cleaning equipment up and walked behind the counter ready to take the late customers order.

He stood behind the counter and looked at the customer for the first time and well, he wasn’t sorry he did or the fact the man came in this late, because the man that stood there was handsome. Very handsome in fact.

His hair was golden blond and his eyes a clear blue unlike Merlin’s own darker ones and he wore a well fitted navy suit. ‘Business man’ his mind provided and he agreed with his own brain because who else would look like this. Then again, who even looked that good in a suit.

He put away his thoughts, smiled at the man and got a smile in return. Wow! He was handsome. “What would you like?” Merlin asked, and he got ready to ring up the order as the man spoke. It was a simple black coffee which made him happier because it meant he could close soon.

“£1.35.” He held his hand out and got the right amount of change from the man. He quickly put the money away and turned to make the coffee. Soon he handed it to the man and got a bright smile and thank you in return before he left the shop. Merlin followed to the door and locked up flipping the ‘OPEN sign to CLOSED’ and putting down the blinds. 

It was 10.45 before he left. He shrugged on his jacket, flicked off the last light and set the alarm before locking up. He checked his pockets one last time making sure his pass, phone and flat keys were there before he set off to the underground.

It was Friday night so the streets had a few more people and cars around than normal. He put in his ear phones, pressed play and soon ‘Of Monsters and Men – King and Lionheart’ started blasting away in his ear. 

Ironically, he was around the same place as the last time where he had run into mountain man when he felt a tap on his shoulder, making him jump. He spun around and pulled his earphones from his ears as he looked at the same blond he’d just served. 

“Sorry.” The guy said, holding his hands up, looking like something out of a cop show. “I thought it was you.” He smiled at Merlin and Merlin had no idea what to do, so he smiled and nodded a yes before the guy spoke again.

“Your Merlin, right?” He clicked his fingers as he said his name and this made the hairs stand up on Merlin’s entire body, because he didn’t know this man and he didn’t even have his name tag on when he’d done his order.

“Hmm…” he paused frowning at the blond. “Yeah…” He let the letters roll out longer than usual and he rose a eyebrow. “How do you know me?” Because he really did want to know.

“Oh, how rude,” The man kept on smiling as if nothing was wrong. “You bumped into my friend the other day,” and as he said that a car pulled up and the mountain man jumped out. Merlin gulped, honest to god gulped, because he knew it was too good to be true, to be let go by the Knights. 

“Please, I didn’t say anything to anyone.” What was there to tell, but Merlin didn’t want them thinking he’d gone to the police or anyone, not that they’d do anything anyway.

“Oh, no, no,” the blond man laughed like this was a joke, waving a hand about.

“What do you want?” Merlin questioned, as he looked from the mountain to the blond. “I don’t want trouble and I really didn’t mean to walk into your friend.” He looked at the mountain as he finished talking.

“I know, don’t worry. Percival here’s already explained and I wanted to meet you in person.” He smiled and stepped closer and it took all Merlin’s willpower not to step back. “I’m Arthur.” He stuck out his hand. “Arthur Pendragon.” 

Merlin laughed then, laughed as if the man had told the funniest joke because this could not be the mod boss himself in front of him, because no one lived who saw this man’s face. Even speaking of his first name; everyone knew this ‘Arthur’ as a Pendragon and that was it. He was surely going to die now because he knew too much, even without wanting or meaning to get all this information.

“Oh god,” he started to hyperventilate. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” He must look like deer caught in the headlights but Arthur just threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous Merlin.” He grabbed on to Merlin’s shoulder once he stopped laughing. 

The other guy, ‘Percival’, just stood by the car as they spoke, or more as Arthur spoke and Merlin tripped over his own tongue in nerves. 

“Now I’m going to have to ask you to get in the car.” Arthur’s voice went deadly serious and Merlin wanted to faint, because he’d seen enough TV to know what happens once you get in a stranger’s car.

Arthur grabbed his shoulder and moved him to the black SUV. Percival opened the door and Merlin just got dragged along because what else could he do, he knew he couldn’t fight them, so he found himself being pushed into the car, followed by Arthur who sat next to him and Percival, who got behind the wheel.

“Where are you taking me?” He hiccupped out. ‘No, he was not going to cry,’ he told himself.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you.” Arthur didn’t even look at him and sounded bored.

“I hope you don’t mind if I don’t believe you.” Merlin wanted to hit himself. Talking back is not going to help him, but all he got was a laugh from Arthur and then the car pulled away from the curb and they were driving.

 

The journey was in silence. The only sounds were the tapping from Arthur as he typed something on his phone and the hum of the engine as the made their way through London. 

The car came to a stop barely 15 minutes later and Merlin didn’t notice until they had stopped that they were outside his flat building.

“This is where you live right?” Arthur’s voice made Merlin swing round. He gave a small nod, because his mind was running away with itself. The mob knew where he lived … Great.

“Well, goodnight Merlin.” Arthur said as the door opened and Percival stood there. ‘When had he gotten out of the driver’s seat?’ Merlin thought.

“Hmm…. Night.” Merlin jumped from the car and was left standing in the cold breeze as Arthur gave him one last smile before the door was closed. Soon the car drove off leaving a very confused and slightly…. no, absolutely terrified, Merlin.

He made his way quickly up to his flat and locked up. ‘Not as if it’ll stop them’ his brain helpfully supplied. He tripped over Kil and got hissed at in the process and all but fell on his bed, fully clothed, thinking over the events of the past hour in his head.

The next thing he knew, sleep was pulling at his eyelids and he let it, too tired and confused to fight unconsciousness.


	3. Smooth

Merlin woke up to the sun rays falling through the window straight onto the bed. He’d forgotten to close them last night. But then again, he’d forgotten to change before falling on the bed so what did he expect. 

He groaned as he ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up in every direction, looking even worse than before. Sitting up from the bed he walked over to the window, wanting to shut of the sunshine that seemed to shine too brightly for a winter day.

As he reached the window, he was going to look outside before pulling the blinds down. But he never actually got to that point, because as he was about to close the blinds, he saw the black SUV sitting outside on the curb and the blond guy, ‘Arthur’, leaning against the hood. Merlin paused, not sure on what to do because the mob boss was outside his building looking like a normal everyday guy waiting for a friend to appear from the building. But this wasn’t a normal guy. This was Pendragon. 

Arthur spotted him in the window where he’d frozen looking outside and their eyes met. It took Merlin a few seconds to duck but he did and sat on the floor. ‘You idiot! Arthur knows you live here and saw you!’ his brain scolded. He hummed to himself like it was a normal thing to do. Kil was standing in the door looking at him as if he had some mental affliction, which he may have, he wasn’t too sure, but as his life went on the possibility grew bigger.

He got on his knees and peered over the window sill. Arthur was still there but now he was talking to another man with ginger curly hair. The guy from last night wasn’t around so Merlin just presumed it was another one of Arthur’s knights.

He sat back against the wall, because how was he meant to get out of the building with Pendragon out there. The back entrance was only for an emergency and he’d found before that sneaking out that way only set off an alarm. That was a story for another day.

He crawled, yes crawled, across the floor, picking up a red jumper and some skinny jeans before he crawled passed Kil, who hissed like he did last night. Merlin was not forgiven for tripping over him last night it appeared, but Merlin ignored him and moved passed him down the hall towards the bathroom. He got up, ran into the bathroom and got changed quickly before brushing his teeth and trying hard to calm his unruly hair. It didn’t work, so he gave up because what did it matter, he was going to wear a hat and have hat hair any way. So he moved to the kitchen, grabbing a cereal bar and a bottle of water, he threw them in his bag before he grabbed his thick jacket and wool hat and took a deep breath before walking out of the flat. He shut the door and was just about to lock up before he cursed under his breath and walked back in, running to the kitchen and throwing some cat food down for Kil before exiting again. 

He locked up and was about to take the lift, before deciding against it and taking the stairs. He then stood in his lobby for a moment because he really didn’t want to talk to Arthur or be noticed by him. He wanted his normal life back, that happened to not have mob bosses in it, thank you very much.

But this was Merlin’s life, so of course that didn’t happen. Because as soon as he took one step out into the chilly air (curse the sun and its fake appearances), hugging his jacket closer to himself trying to keep the warmth in, he heard his name being called. “Damn.” He muttered under his breath and turned to see Arthur strolling over like he owned the place. ‘Technically he did,’ his brain oh so helpfully supplied. He really needed to stop talking to himself because his uncle would call him insane if he was here. Then again, he wouldn’t be wrong because a sane person would not be turning around ready to talk to a man like Arthur Pendragon.

“Arthur,” he tried to make his voice seem welcoming, but he knew he failed by the smug look on the prat’s face, which irritated Merlin even more because this guy could not be real. 

“Merlin, still thinking I want to kill you?” It was easy to see that Arthur was questioning him, even though his voice was calm and low as he made his way closer.

“No.” He laughed out like Arthur had told a joke. “Why would I think such a thing?” What was wrong with him? He was going to get killed with his stupid mouth. 

But Arthur only laughed and walked over to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder which made him tense up. He knew that Arthur would feel it under his hand, which seemed to seep warmth like a furnace, even through the layers Merlin was wearing.

“Come on.” Arthur turned away from him and dragged him to the car. How could Merlin say no? So he took a deep breath and was all but dragged and pushed in like the night before. “Relax.” Arthur was looking at his phone again as the new guy closed the door behind them. “Oh, that’s Leon.” Arthur nodded his head in the direction of the driver getting in the car like it was perfectly normal.

“Not Percival.” He heard his voice supply, but his brain must have face palmed itself. Well done for stating the obvious Merlin, top marks to you. Arthur must have thought so though because he had that ridiculous smirk on his face again.

“Not Percival.” He echoed back and put his phone away.

“Where are you taking me?” He knew his eyes must look like an alien was in the room, but he couldn’t help it. Merlin would never get over the idea that he was in a car with Arthur and had survived to tell the tale, unlike so many others before him. “I have work.” His voice was shaking and he needed to get his act together. He was a man after all.

“I know and I’m taking you there now.” Arthur was looking straight at him now. Arthur’s full attention was on his face and he could feel himself blush under the blue eyes of the blond man.

“Why?” Seriously Merlin, you’re going to question a mob boss on why he’s taking you to places. But all Arthur did was shrug like they were life time friends that did this for one another.

The car journey seemed to stretch on as silence fell over them both. Merlin pressed his lips together before his mouth run away with itself, before his little brain could keep up and stop his mouth.

“So?” Arthur started breaking the silence and brought Merlin out of his happy place of trying to ignore his situation. “Tell me about yourself,” he smiled and turned his body so his full attention was on Merlin. 

“Hmmm…” He wanted to swallow his tongue. “Nothing really to tell.” He let a nervous laugh pass his lips.

“Oh come on now. A guy like you must have so much to tell.” And that was true, but he didn’t want Arthur to know anything about him.

“Well I’m 23 and I’ve lived in London for 4 years.” Hopefully that would be enough and they would reach the café soon. But this was Merlin, so of course that didn’t happen. 

Arthur just raised one brow in a look that just said ‘I know you idiot. I want to know the stuff I can’t find online.’ Well, Merlin had no way out but to start talking. It was weird, like some strange date you see on TV and laugh over. But Merlin wasn’t laughing now and of course Arthur didn’t supply any information about himself. He just sat their looking like a golden god. ‘Get your act together Emrys’ Merlin thought, and hummed his replies as he went on about his childhood in Ealdor in Wales and why he moved all the way to London to end up working in a café when he could do that at home.

“Why didn’t you go back?” Arthur asked, just like the many questions before. Merlin normally had an answer but he didn’t for this one, because he really had no answer.

“Dunno,” he shrugged. “Guess I just want to live my own life and if that means working at a café, then so be it.” He smiled down at his hands. “My mom got married 3 years ago to a lifelong friend. She’s happy and I don’t want to impose on her life, and besides, I’m a grown up that needs to start his own life.” That was the best he could supply even though he knew his mother and step father would offer him the spare room within a moment’s notice if he asked.

“What’s your step father like?” And ‘personal much, Pendragon?’ Merlin thought, because who was he to ask. He must have said this out loud because Arthur let a roar of laugher out which made Merlin jump.

“I like you.” Arthur said once he got himself together. “You don’t talk to me like other people do.” ‘Don’t I know it,’ Merlin thought, but somehow he was getting more relaxed in Arthur’s company. And that was bad. He couldn’t let himself relax around a man with Arthur’s reputation. 

“And how do others talk to you?” ‘Flirting, seriously Merlin. You’re flirting with a man like Arthur,’ He must have hit his head or something because he couldn’t be serious, but Arthur noticed and smirked again. Merlin was going to knock that smirk away soon because no one should look that good when smirking.

“Well” Arthur leaned in, actually leaned in and Merlin had no where to go. “They’re normally gagged.” And there it was, and Merlin nearly choked on his own saliva. 

Arthur leaned closer and Merlin could feel his breath against his face and his hand leaned over his body. ‘Jesus this can’t be happening.’ Merlin thought, and he whimpered again because he was secretly a giant girl. No, girls have more nerve than Merlin; it was offensive to girls, because he knew girls like Gwen and she would have head butted Arthur by now. So really he was just a giant wimp. 

Merlin couldn’t close his eyes so they were locked onto Arthur’s the entire time. Just as he thought Arthur was going to lean further in, the door opened and Arthur moved his head and whispered in his ear “We’re here.” before pulling back like a complete and utter prat that knew he’d won the game. Which he had. Arthur had trapped Merlin and got what he wanted and needed 

Merlin was not blushing. He wasn’t. And anyone who said he was, was a big fat liar who told lies.

“Maaaa” was all that left his mouth and he sounded like a…. Well he didn’t know what he sounded like, but he knew he must have sounded and looked like an idiot.

‘Smooth Emrys, smooth. This is why the men and woman of London City fell at my feet.’ He thought. Oh wait. He’s single and the only one falling was himself as he lost his footing climbing out the car like an overgrown child who didn’t know how to operate his gangly limbs. Luckily for him, a post was there so he grabbed that before his face could meet the concrete below his feet. 

He straightened up and coughed, hiding his embarrassment even though it was clear as day. But Arthur kept a straight face as he said goodbye and shut the door, leaving Merlin yet again looking like a complete and utter idiot on the side of the road.

What was his life?


	4. Winter night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy

Three weeks. Three bloody weeks and Merlin hadn’t seen Arthur. Why was he bothered you ask. Well, it’s simple. He was fed up of looking over his shoulder, fed up of waiting to be grabbed and dragged into a car because, as you all probably know by now, Arthur likes to do that, even if Merlin didn’t. And did Merlin’s opinion matter to Arthur. No! ... And not ‘points finger at anyone who disagrees, even though none of his friends know that he knows Arthur’ that he kind of missed the blond prat. 

He’d gone to and from work as if Arthur didn’t exist and had been hissed at more than a hundred times by Kilgharrah. Nothing odd there. And Merlin had had days in London relaxing, taking in the every day hustle and bustle of the busy city he called home. But even with all that going on he felt like something was missing. Maybe he missed his mum, he shrugged. He hadn’t been home since last Christmas so he went with that idea and nothing was going to change his mind…… nothing.

He was just locking up on Friday and he was so thankful tomorrow was his day off. Today had been hectic, with shoppers running in and out with bags packed full of the first lot of Christmas things. He’d even heard the first Christmas song on the radio today and had moaned loudly, making a few people look at him. He seriously didn’t think that it could be that time of the year again. But it was; because it was December 1st, much to Merlin’s disgust. The weather knew too, as the bitter winds picked up and the ice appeared more and more in the dull mornings, coving the normally dull grey stone paths with a crystal white glow.

Merlin hated December. He got fewer days off, more customers in and he never got a second off from when he started work to when he finally kicked the last person out and closed up shop. But only for a few hours before it all started again. Oh the joys of Merlin’s life, because he really was living the dream. 

It seemed darker outside now that winter had fully set in, even though it was the same gloomy street he walked all year round. That only made the weather seem colder, and when he got his phone out and looked at the weather, it said minus two. He moaned again because really, minus weather already. It was Britain not the North Pole. 

He locked up and said goodbye to Gwen who, despite the weather and Merlin’s grumpy mood, still had her usual smile plastered on her face. Even her yellow scarf couldn’t hide her smile from the world and Elena was bouncing around singing ‘Its Christmas time’ even though it was late and cold and dark. Merlin groaned. 

The pavements were slippery so Merlin had to walk slower, which also meant it took him longer to get to the underground. And right now he just wanted to be at home under his duvet, with maybe a movie on in the background and if luck was with him, a cuppa tea. He’d have to see if the temperamental kettle would work before he dreamt of that perfect cuppa tea.

Luckily for him, the train was running late, so he managed to catch it and not have to wait for the one ten minutes later. Before he knew it, he was in the flat’s lobby collecting his mail. Bills, junk mail and more bills. 

He got the lift to his floor because the stairs looked more like the portal to hell than actual stairs. Even though he was only on the 3rd floor, when the doors pinged open and he finally he saw his muddy brown door, he let out a sigh of relief. He had no plans whatsoever to leave his flat or bed tomorrow. 

He quickly got inside and locked up behind him, shrugging off his jacket and pulling off his hat and gloves. He moved to the kitchen, chanting out “please work, please work” as he went over to his old kettle. For once in Merlin’s life, the kettle actually worked. Merlin sent a prayer of thanks to all the tea fairies for that one miracle. Because he really needed a cup of tea before he went to bed.

He had a boiling hot shower which helped chase away the winter chill and changed into his favourite pair of thick grey joggers and band t-shirt. When he walked out of the bathroom, he heard the kettle click, so he made his way back to the kitchen. He grabbed his favourite blue mug, popping in his tea bag and made the tea just how he liked it. Milk with two sugars. 

He sipped his tea as he walked into his room. Kilgharrah was asleep on the bed and ignored him as he put the mug down and jumped under his duvet. “Grumpy old sod,” he whispered as he stroked Kil. The cat didn’t even open his eyes, just stretched out, taking up more room. Merlin grabbed the remote and switched on his small flat screen, flicking through the channels trying to find something decent to watch. He gave up and checked his facebook and twitter before plugging in his old phone to charge. Going back to the TV, he found an old episode of Doctor Who. 

Hey lay back and let the noise of the telly fill his flat, sipping his tea. He heard the rain start outside and it began to hit his window with force. At that moment, he was so glad that he was inside in his bed and that he had remembered this time to leave the blinds down. He was glad that tomorrow he could lie in, be lazy and stay out of the winter weather for one day.

Doctor Who was just ending and Merlin’s empty mug was sitting on the unit next to his charging phone when there was a knock on his door. He looked at the time on his phone and saw it was just after midnight. “Who could possibly be here at this hour?” He asked Kil. But with no reply from his black cat, he got out of his bed and switched the hall light on. He made his way to the door, and making sure the chain was attached, he opened it just enough to see out of. And surprisingly, he saw no other than Arthur standing there. He groaned, making Arthur’s eyebrow raise before Merlin shut the door and took the catch off.

He opened the door fully and looked at Arthur with an unimpressed look. Which Arthur predictably overlooked, as he usually did, and started the conversation as Merlin obviously wasn’t going to.

“Hey, can I come in?” Arthur smiled as though it was totally normal to knock on someone’s door at midnight.

Merlin threw his head back, moaning again, because why can’t he just have a nice relaxing night. But he stepped away from the door so Arthur could walk in, and Arthur did like he’d been there before. Merlin looked out into the hall and saw no one else, so he shut the door and locked it again before moving to the living/bed room where Arthur was standing, petting Kilgharrah, who had woken up to investigate the stranger. 

“It’s twelve o clock Arthur.” Merlin stated, as if Arthur wouldn’t have known. He looked at the blond and saw his coat and hair were wet from the rain. “Give me your coat.” He held out his hand, not really giving the other man a choice. He was fed up and wanted to get this over with, but Arthur complied without a word, so Merlin walked further into his flat and hung it up, letting it dry out. 

“Sorry,” was all Arthur said as he continued to pet Kilgharrah. “Traitor.” Merlin mumbled under his breath to his cat. 

“What do you need, Arthur?” Merlin put his hands on his hips and thought that he must have looked like one of those school mums scolding her disobedient child.

“I just came to see how you were,” Arthur lied and Merlin could see straight through it. 

“The truth…” Tapping his foot, he waited as Arthur stepped away from his cat and came closer.

“I needed a place to stay.” Arthur looked at the ground, much to Merlin’s disbelief, because the mob boss, known for his ruthless ways, was acting like a kid who stole the last cookie and was now paying for said action.

“No.” Merlin replied, without thinking. “The last thing I need is some mob guys turning up and shooting down the building. I’m just a normal guy Arthur. I’m not like you.” He started to feel guilty. ‘Get yourself together,’ he told himself. 

“I understand that Merlin, but they won’t think to look here.” Arthur looked up then, and Merlin saw for the first time just how blue his eyes were. They looked brighter than the night in the café. ‘No. Stop it.’ Merlin scolded himself. He couldn’t have the mob boss here. He didn’t want to get mixed up in all this. He wanted his boring old life back, and he would get it, because he was sticking to his no answer.

So of course fate had other plans, and Merlin found himself mixed up in all this. Not twenty minutes later, he was laying blankets out on his old battered sofa, trying to pad it out a bit and then searching for extra pillows for Arthur, who had just stepped out of the shower and walked through Merlin’s flat with just his black suit trousers on. And holy crap, the guy was like a god walking around. His chest was more ripped than Merlin had thought. Not that he had, mind you. His wash board abs seemed to stand out like some 3D picture and his arms were like a tree trunks stuck on a human.

Shaking away the blush that fell over his neck and face, he went back to searching for pillows, ignoring the sound of Arthur moving around his flat.   
Once he had everything, he looked up from his sofa and found Arthur was still topless and was looking at the photos that were randomly pinned up on the green wall.

“Who’s this?” Arthur pointed at one photo of Merlin and three women. 

Merlin made his way over, ignoring the fact that Arthur was half naked. “Oh, that’s Gwen, Elena and Freya.” Merlin pointed to each woman as he told Arthur. “Gwen owns the café, and the other two are the workers like me.” He smiled at the picture. “We’re all very close.” 

Arthur just hummed like he normally did and moved to the sofa, sitting down as Merlin walked to his bed, shoving Kil over which made the cat hiss again, before he jumped down and ran into the kitchen. Merlin turned his TV off and got back under the duvet.

“Night.” Merlin said as he got under the covers and switched the lamp off. He heard a dull “Night,” from Arthur and the sound of the man lying down. But Merlin rolled over, because he was tired and he just wanted to sleep, despite the fact he was sleeping barely 5 feet from not only the hottest guy he’d seen, but the most feared and wanted man as well.


	5. Not what it looks like

Merlin was woken up by the sound of a raised voice, talking into what his sleep muddled mind thought was a phone. Unless the person shouting but trying to whisper "How ever that works?" was just a mental person who had broken into his flat. But then everything from the night before clicked back into place and Merlin headbutted the pillow. Because of course it's Arthur, and the past few hours weren't just a big evil dream.

Merlin turned over and saw the orange glow from a street lamp shining through his blind, so he knew it was still night. His flat was still dark, but with just the right amount of light so that he could see the figure on the sofa was sitting up.

He wanted to scream, because this was his day off and he didn’t want to be woken up by Arthur. He wanted to sleep till he can’t possibly sleep any more and then make tea from himself ... and then try to sleep more. It was the perfect plan. Why couldn’t it just, you know, plan out right for him?

“Arthur?" He whispered and the silouhette stopped talking for a second before Merlin heard “Got to go.” and the screen from the phone switched off, making the room darker.

“Sorry Merlin, go back to sleep.” Arthur actually sounded sorry. “Hard to sleep when your guest is making noise.” Merlin complained, sighing and sitting up. “Everything okay?” For a while Arthur was quiet. Merlin could just about see but could hear clearly as Arthur stood up and came closer. ‘Shit that he is.’ And then Arthur just plonked himself down on the bed. So rude.

“Work stuff.” Arthur said, more to his hands as they rub his face than to Merlin. Merlin wants to help, but he has no idea how. To be honest, he’d prefer to sleep and ignore all the problems that had popped up the past few weeks, mostly to do with the man sitting on his bed.

“Ahh." is all he added. Because what else could he say? But Arthur got it, as he hummed and sat up straighter, looking out over the dark flat.

“I couldn’t sleep and then Leon rang,” Arthur paused. “Everything our end is fine. You don’t have to worry about people coming here.” Merlin thought that it was strange that Arthur was telling him this. So he asked why he was. He didn't mean to. Damn his mouth for running away with itself. But it got a little huff of a laugh out of the prat.

“Dunno." Arthur shrugged “You’re different.” was all he supplied, before he lay back on the bed, making himself comfy.

“What are you doing?” Merlin questioned, because even though it was a double bed, he wanted to know what this guy was playing at.

“Sleep, Merlin.” Arthur reached out as he spoke and pulled Merlin down by his arm so they were lying side by side. It was too weird to put into words for Merlin.

“I can’t." Merlin said, in an even more hushed tone. He swore that if a voice could blush, his would be blushing right then.

“Why?” Arthur sounded confused and well, he wouldn’t understand. So Merlin just lay there, because maybe, if he ignored the problem, it would go away. It didn’t.

“Why am I different?” Merlin spoke up after a long stretch of silence. He thought Arthur might be asleep but he got an answer straight away.

“You just are," was his reply. How is that an answer or at all helpful? Merlin was getting closer and closer to the point where he wanted to pick up his pillow up and smother the prat himself.

“Riiiiiiight.” He dragged the word out slowly. "Well, if your not going to move then I’m just going to go back to sleep. Don’t hog all the covers." Yep, it was official. Merlin had a mental affliction, because he was just excepting the fact that another guy was in his bed. And not just any guy, but Mr Hot Mob Boss himself. 

Whatever Merlin had done in his past life couldn’t possibly be so bad that his life was cursed. But it seemed like karma had a plan for him, because Arthur just pulled the duvet over them both and soon fell asleep. It took Merlin longer, but eventually he gave up and just let sleep win. He needed to escape his life, even if it was only for a few hours.

When Merlin woke up again the sun was up and a warm body was attached to his. Wait a moment. Merlin opened his eyes to find that in the night, he’d rolled over and was lying half on top of Arthur.

“Oh crap!" He said under his breath over and over, because his head right that second was on Arthur’s chest. Crap.

“Morning,” Arthur’s voice broke an invisible barrier and Merlin shot up like someone had tipped cold water over him. “Shit, sorry.” He mumbled as he got out of the bed, or more like, fell out seeing as he was then on the floor, along with the duvet. What made things even worse was hearing Arthur laughing at him.

He untangled himself and sat up, glaring at the man in his bed. "This is not funny!” Merlin pouted, which Only got another burst of laughter from the blond.

“Oh Merlin.” Arthur patted the bed. “Get back on the bed, idiot.” The smile Arthur gave him was unlike any other, and how could he smile at a moment like this.

“Why are you so calm? I fell asleep on your chest!” It was a simple question, and Merlin just wanted a simple answer. But this was Arthur and nothing that involved that man was simple.

“You’re not the first.” He supplied, and why did that make Merlin feel angry? Arthur wasn’t his and he didn’t want to be with Arthur. He really didn’t… Oh shut up.

The glare he sent Arthur made him shut up though, but he could still see Arthur was fighting hard to hide the smile. But Merlin was happy that he’d managed to make a Pendragon quiet. 'See, I do have super powers,' he giggled to himself, and that made the blond look at him funnily. Because yes, more proof that Merlin was clinically insane.

“Why are you giggling like a teenage girl?” Arthur looked concerned and he had every right to be, because Merlin couldn't imagine how strange the image in front of himmust look. A 23 year old man, sitting on the floor of his bedroom, trapped in a duvet, giggling as the other person in the building lay on a empty bed in his boxers.

“You're in your boxers." Merlin pointed out, because well, it was Merlin. Why was everyone so shocked? “Sorry,” he supplied a second later. “Please forget that.” He rubbed his face with both hands, but he didn’t miss the funny little look that Arthur gave him. But he chose to ignore it, because he needed to find some normality, just a small amount.

He finally manage to immerge from the duvet and ungracefully get to his feet. He threw the blanket over Arthur and padded out the room to the kitchen.

“Coffee.” He muttered to himself. “Definitely need coffee.” Luckily enough, the kungrateful felt like working again.

“No milk 2 sugars,” Arthur’s voice called from the bedroom, and Merlin really wanted to kill him right then.

“Not your slave.” Merlin shot back but grabbed a second mug anyway. He was just pouring the water into a mug when a knock came at the door. “Really?” He said aloud as he left the coffee and walked to the door, doing the same as he’d done with Arthur with the bolts. When he only saw Gwen, he opened it more so they could talk.

“Hey,” Her voice as sweet as ever. “Don’t panic, I don’t need you in the café, but I brought you these." She held out a cake tray, and Merlin took them with a large smile because she really was the greatest.

“Thanks Gwen, you didn’t need to come all this way.” Merlin said as he took the cakes from her.

“Hey,” a voice came from behind him. Merlin tensed as he saw Gwen’s eyes grow. Merlin turned slowly round and saw Arthur standing there in just his black boxers. Curse him and his body. Merlin was now officially a dead man, mob boss or not, he was dead for this.

Gwen stood there looking at the man behind Merlin, who offered her a quite "Hey," and a small wave. She struggled, looking back at Merlin and her expression changed into an evil one. Merlin just knew he’d never live this down ever and tomorrow he would get the multi million pound question from the girls.

“This is n….” Merlin stopped his sentence when Gwen eld her hand up and spoke. “No need to say anything, I’m leaving." Before he could reply, she was already walking away, and he was too tired for all the drama, so he just shut the door before bagging his head a few times against the hard wood.

Arthur was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter drinking his coffee. Merlin just looked at him with a blank look. Because really, why did he have to do that? But all he got was a smirk in return, because Arthur knew what he’d done, the prat, amd he was enjoying every minute of it.

“I can’t believe you did that.” was all Merlin said as he picked his coffee up and held back a smile, because Arthur had added his milk for him. He fell down on the sofa, ignoring the laugh from Arthur, because one, he was a prat, and two, no one should laugh that much in the morning.

He focused on Kil, who lay by his side stretched out, giving Merlin a death glare for disturbing him. But it was better than looking at Arthur in his boxers in Merlin's kitchen, because he might just do something he’d regret later on. Or want to repeat of. And those thoughts needed to stop. Now. So he just sipped his coffee and ignored the fact that the hottest guy he’d ever seen was, at that very moment, nearly naked in his flat.


	6. Weird changes

Merlin didn’t know what to do. I mean, what do you do when you have one of Britain’s most ruthless men sitting on your couch. 

Merlin grabbed a fist full of hair in both hands, trying to make the nightmare stop. Maybe if he pinched himself he would wake up and everything would be back to normal. That happened, right?

Once Merlin got his head together and let go of his hair, he switched on the kettle and looked through the archway into his living room. His life really was bizarre, because the man who was so well known and who was spoken ill about so much was sitting there on his lumpy old sofa watching “The Great British Bakeoff” with Kilgharrah on his lap. It just looked so domestic.

The whistle of the kettle boiling brought Merlin back to the real world, so he started making them both tea. He grabbed the milk, and seeing his own reflection in the window, he saw that his hair was sticking up in every known direction. He looked like a mad scientist.

“Tea?” Merlin’s voice broke through Arthur’s barricade and his head turned so quickly it was a wonder that he didn’t have whiplash. Kilgharrah jumped down and stalked off whilst Arthur pressed the power button on the remote, making the screen blank and the room silent.

Arthur cleared his throat and accepted the tea with a short nod. He watched from the corner of his eye as Merlin sat down on the other end of the lumpy sofa.

The minutes passed in complete silence between both men. Merlin didn’t understand where the awkwardness had come from. Not an hour ago, Arthur had been walking around in his boxers, greeting Merlin’s boss and friend.

“I’ll umm….” Merlin looked up at Arthur as Arthur struggled for words. “I’ll be going away for a bit.” He was looking at his lap, not at Merlin and Merlin didn’t know what was happening. Why was Arthur telling him this?

“Okay.” Merlin stretched the word out and raised a questioning brow at Arthur. But he didn’t see, as something in his lap was far more interesting. Why was Arthur doing this? They weren’t together. They hardly knew each other for heaven’s sake, so they weren’t friends. Were they? His brain was going a mile a minute.

“Yeah, not that you care or anything.” Arthur paused and got up. Merlin watched every movement the other man made. “Business has come up.” Arthur picked up his things and walked to the coat rack, shrugging on his coat. “I’ll see you later Merlin.” Arthur gave him a brief smile and exited the flat before Merlin could even say goodbye.

“What on earth just happened?” Merlin asked Kilgarrah, but the cat didn’t seem to care enough to give an answer. The flat was now eerily silent without Arthur.

After washing up the used cups and putting them away, Merlin remembered the cakes Gwen had brought over. He helped himself to one before he sat back on the sofa, thinking over everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. And the more he thought about it the more confused he got.

He lay on the sofa for the remainder of the day, ignoring the outside world and watching ‘Friends’. He let the hours tick by; soon the day was over and the night sky was drawing in.

He finally got up, stretching and groaning as his stiff joints moved for the first time in hours. He looked at the clock. 7.12 pm. He really had spent the whole day slobbing about. But he didn’t mind. It had been his first day off in weeks. He ordered take out and showered as he waited before changing into an old pair of joggers and a t-shirt. 

As he finished dressing, his doorbell went. His heart jumped irrationally in the hope it might be Arthur. But as he opened the door, he was greeted by the delivery man. He took the order and paid for it before locking up for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait life kinda happened.
> 
> Big shout out to my amazing Beta mapofthestars who helped me out a lot with this chapter


	7. Suprise

Merlin was exhausted after a hard day at work and he just wanted to go home and curl up in bed with Kil and ignore the world because it was all he could do to keep his eyes open as the minutes ticked by

The shop was packed with cold people with hands full shopping just needing a coffee fix, all the new flavours were in and people were eagerly waiting for him to brew up a black forest hot chocolate or a spiced ginger bred man latte because everyone was in a festive mood despite the cold weather, well everyone but him it seemed!

 

Two weeks had passed since the weird day with Arthur and he hadn’t seen or heard a thing from him or his knights. He wasn’t sure if it was the tiredness that caused the weird tightness in his chest every time he left his flat or opened his flat door to not see Arthur there or if he was coming down with the colds and illnesses that Christmas time brought ‘The joys of winter’ but he shuck his head every time it jumped in with the obscene thought that he missed the blonde prat

 

10.09 the clock said when Merlin looked at it from his spot behind the counter, signing he closed his eyes for a moments just needing a moment of relief to lift the heavy ache behind his eyelids, but he didn’t get that moment because not a second later the chime above the door sounded making the presence of a new customer known, Merlin sighed before opening his eyes and stood straighter waiting for the order.

The man looked like any other guy that came into the café at this hour, he had dark shoulder length hair but it was kept stylishly messy and his suit looked like it was moulded to fit his body, every step the guy took the more Merlin noticed his muscles flex under the many layers of material “typical late night business man” Merlin muttered to himself and luckily the other man was to far away still to hear him 

“Hey” The guy said with a smirk like smile as he reached the counter “Can I have a latte” the guy smile showing all his perfect teeth off, his smile was predatory like a shark defending its space in the deep sea

“Sure thing” Merlin managed to mumble before he moved to sort out the order, the machines whined and whizzed into life making the ordered drink and Merlin leaned onto the counter wishing away the minutes so he could just serve this guy and go home

“Long day” A voice sounded from behind Merlin who was still facing the machine and for a second Merlin had forgotten he was there “Yeah” he turned his head looking over his shoulder smiling lightly at the customer “Only 15 minutes to go though” as he finished talking the machines stopped so Merlin got to work making the drink, 12 minutes he smiled as he glanced up at the clock

“Here” He passed the warm cup over to the smiling guy who accepted it with a sigh like the cup of coffee held the secrets of the world or the answers to unknown questions and Merlin couldn’t help but smile “Hard day too?” he questioned as he rang the order up “£2.85” he quickly added before the guy could answer

“you could say that” the man laughed as he handed over the money “keep the change” he waved his hand and took a step back smiling and Merlin returned it before the man fully turned and left the shop just as quick as he entered leaving behind the familiar jingle of the bell above the door

No one else came in which made Merlin happy because he could close up a bit earlier, Gwen wouldn’t mind and it was only 5 minutes, he quickly cleaned the machines down and turned off all the power and made sure everything was in place for tomorrow and locked away till the morning shift arrived, he quickly set the alarm and locked up shop before heading home

 

The underground was deserted and the train was on Merlin’s side for once as it pulled into the station just as he turned the corner so he happily jumped on and took a pick of the empty seats and soon he was on his way home

 

He made it home in record time and he was thankful for it because he really was tired and cold and just needed to sleep

He opened his flat and got a lovely blast of hot air and was welcomed by a low meow by his feet, he smiled down at the grumpy looking cat that wound itself around his feet vibrating as it rubbed its head on his leg

“Hey Kil” he bent down petting his cat before he stood back up with a low groan, stretching all the kinks out of his muscles he made his way to the kitchen putting food down for Kil before he collapsed on his unmade bed

 

He must have fallen asleep because a low knock woke him up; he looked round at the still dark room trying to figure out who at ….. He looked at his clock ….. 3.50am could be at his door? ‘Arthur maybe’ his brain unhelpfully supplied “Seriously” he muttered getting up with little enthusiasm it was a wonder he got up at all but the thought that it could possible be Arthur made it happen

Unlocking his door he checked before opening if his chain was on ‘it was’ he peaked through the small gap but saw no one there?

“Hello?” he called out quietly not wanting to wake his neighbour up “hello?’ he repeated again but still no answer came

He was just about to close the door and go back to bed when his door was rammed open with a heavy force and the chain snapped with a loud click from the shear force, he landed on the floor letting a loud humph slip out 

He looked up quickly but the light in the building hallway only made the figure a silhouette so that’s all he saw before he felt a sharp pain on his head and his eyes slipped closed leaving him in darkness


	8. Kilgharrah

Merlin woke up with a low groan his head hurt and his throat was dry. He reached up and touched his aching head but brought his hand away with a hiss from the dull ache, when he saw his fingers he saw the crimson colour that covered them which made him groan again

When he finally opened his eyes he saw he was slouched on the floor next to his door where he last remembered standing, he got up with a slight struggle when the world decided to spin around but he held onto the wall till he was upright and the world stopped spinning so fast

He closed his door with a flick of his wrist before he locked it. Heading to the bathroom bathroom he saw that his flat had been tipped upside down which made him groan again because everything from picture frames to mugs were smashed and his old couch was up side down and the old coffee table was missing a leg which he located near the empty fire place the other side of the room

“brilliant” he muttered to the quite flat finally making it into the bathroom, turning on the light he saw the matted blood in his hair signing he leant over and started to wash it out when a knock came again

Merlin looked around because he didn’t want to be whacked over the head again but the banging didn’t stop and it was louder than before and then he heard Arthur’s voice

“Merlin?” his voice was muffled from the door but he could hear it was Arthur clearly so he made his way to the door stepping over the broken glass and mess on his way

“Hi” he muttered when he opened the door, he was answered with silence as Arthur looked him up and down before speaking “what happened” Arthur looked from Merlin’s face to behind him seeing his messy flat

“No idea” Merlin laughed because what else do you do when someone whacks you over the head and then ransacks your home but Arthur didn’t find it funny as he kept his eyes on the blood matted hair

“Your bleeding” Arthur pointed to his head like Merlin didn’t already know and feel the wound but before he could give a sarcastic answer Arthur pushed his way inside and he heard the small gasp from Arthur that was barely audible as he made it deeper inside the messier than usual flat “Merlin what happened? Who did this?” Arthur’s voice was harder now as he asked the questions

Merlin just locked up again before joining Arthur in his up side down living room “like I said Arthur I don’t know” he paused and looked over but Arthur was looking around the place “Someone knocked on the door and the next thing I know I’m waking up on the floor with a aching head” he shrugged and looked away from Arthur

“Where’s Kilgharrah” Arthur asked next not commenting anymore on what happened and Merlin snapped his head up ‘which was a bad idea’ making him dizzy again and Arthur grabbed his shoulders before he could wobble “Shit” he hissed and pulled away from Arthur making his way into his bedroom that was in the same state as the rest of the building “Kil” he paused “killy” he raised his voice a bit more and kept calling the name out as he walked from room to room checking the cupboard as he went but there was no sign of Kilgharrah

“Did you see him on the way up” Merlin’s voice held more of a panicked tone now but Arthur just shuck his head “no sorry” but Arthur was already making his way to the door “I’ll go look outside maybe he just wondered out when the door was open” but Merlin didn’t answer and he wasn’t sure if he even heard him as he threw rugs and pillows around hoping to find his cat hiding behind them

Arthur left the flat ringing his knights as he went knowing this wasn’t a robbery but someone looking for information. What he wanted to know is who knew that he knew Merlin? And why now after the weeks he’d been away?


	9. The knights

Arthur quickly finished talking to his knights on the phone and was soon back in Merlin’s flat helping the upset man put his flat back together, the sofa was okay because well no real damage could come to an already broken and bumpy old sofa but the coffee table and the photo frames would all need to be thrown away which made Merlin cry again going on about his mother or someone female that was close to him but Arthur couldn’t understand the sobbing man that stood in front of him 

Merlin couldn’t stop crying his home was a mess and broken, some of it belongings were his mothers and aunt Alice’s which meant something to Merlin and they still hadn’t found his cat, Arthur stood there trying his hardest to comfort him but if Merlin was totally honest Arthur was crap at it

“I just” *sob* “Want to know where” *another sob* “Kil is” *yet another sob* and then Arthur before he could say anything had his arms full with a sobbing man, he could feel the tears as they dampened his once clean suit jacket

 

And this was how the knights found their boss, A cough behind the two men made them pull away from each other, Arthur shot around and Merlin looked over Arthur’s shoulder to see five new men standing there all with weird looks on their faces, one he recognised as the mountain from weeks ago but the other 4 he didn’t know or recognise but he knew these must be Arthur’s most trusted men

“Arthur” the one with shoulder length hair said with a smirk but before he could say another word Arthur spoke up “About time” he snapped walking away from Merlin and towards the men saying something Merlin couldn’t hear as he reached them

“This is Merlin” he pointed behind him with his thumb not even glancing back “he’s had some trouble and we need to sort it” these words made Merlin raise a brow, why? What was going on it was a robbery why did Merlin need the knights and Arthur to help?

The men all walked into the flat and made themselves comfy, well as comfy as one can make themselves in the mess they were in, each man made themselves comfy and the guy started to talk making Merlin feel weird even in his own flat “I’ll put the kettle on” but Merlin walked away before anyone could say anything, he filled the kettle and switched it on

Arthur was talking to his men whilst Merlin stayed in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, he couldn’t really hear the conversation but he was to busy looking at the new men that had turned up

The mountain was standing leaning on the back of the coach nodding to what ever Arthur was saying, he was the sort of man that looked really intimidating yet you know deep down he has a heart of gold. The muscles and shortly cut hair gave him that rough and tough look but went he smiled at Merlin as he walked in you could just tell he wasn’t a threat ‘or he wasn’t a treat right now’ Merlin wouldn’t like to see what happened to people he deemed a threat

Next to him stood a man who could pose for any model company, his shoulder length hair was perfect for a shampoo advert and his face was wasted not being on screen with that messy yet stylish stubble and those eyes, Merlin shuck his head and looked at the next man who was sitting on the coach because he needed to look away from that guy

The next guy was dark skinned and looked a bit like Gwen ‘didn’t she have a brother?’ no someone like Gwen would not have a brother who was apart of the mob, but the eyes were so like hers, he’d smiled kindly too at Merlin as he made his way in the flat, he had more of a geek or technology look to him than a mob member but looking at the others non had that mob look that he’d seen in movies

The next guy was well in better words like a Spanish dream come to life with his tan skin and brown hair and matching brown eyes, he to could have been a model with those looks.   
What was with the mobs and having model type men? Did it help make the bad guys and girls swoon or something?

The last guy Merlin could tell was Arthur’s second, he just had the same confidence but without the cocky ways Arthur had, he’d patted Merlin shoulders as he entered the flat giving him a small smile, his short messy stubble matched his curly ginger hair and his eyes were the kind that made you fall in love in seconds because they just looked safe and Merlin wondered again how a man like him had gotten into this type of life?

The kettle startled him into reality and he purred the boiling water into the tea pot before walking out with the try of mugs 

Everyone looked at him as he made his way into the living room ‘or what was left of a living room’ he didn’t know what to do so he did what he did best in situations like these ‘not that he’d even been in a situation like this before, but the whole strangers in your room what do you do situation’ so he stood there awkwardly with a tray and a weird smile till Arthur spoke up making the guys look back at him

“Right” Arthur broke the weird stare silence thing that had fallen and everyone’s attention was back on him “This can’t have been a robbery, nothing is missing apart from a grumpy cat” Merlin nodded along still holding the tray then realised what Arthur had said and shouted out a quick ‘HEY’ but everyone ignored him as Arthur pressed on “but why take a cat?” the mountain asked and the others hummed an agreement “I think they’re trying to use the cat to make Merlin talk” everyone looked back at Merlin

“What have I go to talk about and who is this person?” he let a small laugh out through nerves “Me, Us” Arthur pointed at himself and then the knights as if Merlin didn’t understand already “they want information on us and what better way than taking something you care about to bribe you with” he spoke like it was simple and an every day thing and maybe to him and his life it was but Merlin was a normal guy who till now lived a fairly normal life

“Did anyone strange come into the café?” The ginger one spoke now looking at Merlin with that face that any mother would coo over 

“hmm” Merlin tried to think the café had been really busy so lots of people came in and out “There was one guy” and everything came flooding back

“He came into the café today just before closing, long dark hair, dark eyes and a body to kill” he coughed awkwardly that wasn’t meant to slip out “He didn’t give a name but he wore an expensive suit and I haven’t seen him in before, he had this look” Merlin stopped but Arthur pushed him on “What look? What did he look like?”

“Tall with dark eyes that looked like they wanted to eat you but not in a good way” he closed his eyes trying to see the guy again and ignored the knowing looks the men passed from one to the other “Dark long hair that a model would kill for” he looked at the guy standing behind the coach “he’d give you a run for your money in the model line” which made the guy throw his head back and laugh 

“Cenred?” the darker skinned man said with a harsh tone

“I think your right Elyan” Arthur sighed rubbing his hands over his face “okay” he looked from knight to knight “Elyan and Lance go and see what you can dig up on the CCTV in the area” the two men on the coach got up and left quickly with a quick “yes boss”

“Percival, Leon go take a look around the area and see if you can spot any of Cenreds men” they both walked off with a short ‘yes boss’ as well 

“Gwaine you go back to head quarters and tell Morgana about what’s happened” the guy gave a huge grown “Why me boss, you know she’d prefer Leon” his eyes were showing fear which Merlin wanted to laugh at because what could be so scary about this Morgana but his thoughts were interrupted with Arthur’s shout “NOW Gwaine” Arthur’s voice left no room for argument and the guy left with a wink in Merlin’s direction and suddenly the room with silent again 

 

“What about you” Merlin spoke once the whole rush was over, Arthur looked over at him “Well I’m staying here of course” he pointed at Merlin’s head “You need a body guard” he laughed and got up from the chair “Come one lets tidy this place up and Merlin for god sake put the tray down you look like a right idiot” 

Merlin then realised he was in fact still holding the tray “Prat” he mumbled as he took the tray back to the kitchen leaving it on the counter and joined Arthur in tiding his home up 

 

Some time passed before Merlin spoke again.

“Are we going to get Kil back” Merlin’s voice was quite as he picked broken glass up “I’ve had him since I was a boy, he’s old Arthur and he’s going to be scared” a fresh load of tears came and Arthur soon had both hands on his shoulders

“We will get Kilgharrah back Merlin, I promise you” and before he could think of his own actions he pulled Merlin into a hug which Merlin expected with a low sigh


	10. Confused and lost?

The two men pulled away from each other reluctantly after a few minutes, a few too many minutes to be a normal friendly hug but neither of them said anything and went back to tidying the flat

After what felt like hours the flat was tidy with all the furniture back in their place and the broken things were bagged and ready to take down stairs

The time pasted in silence as the made the flat look a bit more like it had done this morning

 

“Who’s Cenred” Merlin’s voice broke the silence and made Arthur look at the raven haired man for the first time since the to friendly hug

“No body” Arthur quickly replied, his voice was quite but sharp but Merlin wasn’t going to let it go, he wanted to know who might have his god damn cat and why said person would have his cat?

“Arthur” his voice rose slightly “I want to know who may have my cat, and why they took an ancient old cat too?” he looked at Arthur but Arthur looked down and wouldn’t return the look more focused on the 3 legged table leaning against the wall 

A few minutes went by in silence and Merlin had had enough “ARTHUR” his voice left no room for being ignored and he sore the blonde man jump every so slightly ‘ so slightly that if Merlin wasn’t focused on the man he wouldn’t have noticed’ Arthur let a loud sign out and finally turned to look at him, running his hands through his hair making it look messy, Arthur’s face was blank as he looked at Merlin and Merlin for the first time in the few weeks of knowing Arthur saw the man people spoke of, he finally saw the Pendragon that people knew and if he wasn’t so angry about what had happened he might ‘just might’ have backed down and looked away ‘but this was Merlin and he never did what a normal person would do’

“He’s the man who wants to kill me, my men, and my father” he looked hard at Merlin “Everyone… that means something to me” the last part was so quietly said Merlin had to strain to hear him, but Arthur just signed again as a small amount of emotion fell over his hard look and Merlin felt for him in that split second

“It doesn’t explain why he took my cat?” Raising an eyebrow as he spoke because it really didn’t explain it at all, why would this “Cenred” want a cat? “Does Kil mean something to you?” he couldn’t help the slight snort that followed that sentence but Arthur didn’t see the joke because he still had that look on his handsome face ‘wait what?’

“Be…Because he wants to hurt you” Arthur got up from the sofa now and his voice sounded like he was letting go of the worlds most kept secret, he stood up straight and began to paced around the living room “He knows” he raised his arms “that some how” but Arthur stopped talking as he turned to face Merlin who was still sat on the sofa waiting for Arthur to finish the sentence, Arthur was silent for a moment “He’s just a nasty man who wants to harm my family, that’s all I’m saying Merlin” he pointed a finger at Merlin who in return raised both eyebrows “Understood”

Merlin didn’t say anything as he look shocked at Arthur ‘If he’s after family then why come for me or Kil?’ his brain could not make sense of this at all

“Don’t get me wrong Arthur” he stood up now too “But I don’t understand at all, to be honest I’m beyond confused” and if looks could kill well the look Arthur was sending him would have made Merlin into a pile of ash by now

“For god sake Merlin” he raised his hands again with a frustrated sign “Sit down and I will explain slowly”

Both men sat on either ends of the sofa looking at each other, Merlin really didn’t know what was about to happen but before he could say a word Arthur began to speak


	11. I like you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter tonight, very short but to the point
> 
> (one swear word used) 
> 
> enjoy

“Right” that was about the tenth time Arthur had said that now as he rung his hands together “right” he repeated again and Merlin wanted to scream

“Arthur for the love of god, JUST SPEAK” Merlin couldn’t help as the frustrated left him at the end making his voice raise into a shout 

“Right” Arthur looked up ‘I’m going to kill him if he says that one more time’ Merlin thought to himself “sorry its just hard” Arthur looked lost as he spoke and Merlin began to get even more confused ‘what was so hard?’

“Well if it helps mum always says its best to just say it all at once, like pulling a plaster off a wound, just get it over with in one go” the look Merlin got from Arthur would have made him laugh if the situation wasn’t so strange 

“Okay then” Arthur shuffled closer to Merlin and Merlin didn’t move an inch letting the other man closer and silence took over again for a moment but Arthur must have seen he was about to speak because he spoke then quietly “I like you” and it was said so quickly that Merlin almost ‘almost being the word’ missed it, because he was a little lost right now because one: Arthur ‘The Arthur’ had told him he liked him and two: how did this explain the situation they were in?

“Excuse me?” this really wasn’t helping his confusion at all and he needed to get things out in the open to help him get his head around everything

“I said I like you” His voice was still quite and almost shy sounding as he repeated it for the confused looking Merlin

“I don’t understand?” And Arthur the prat rolled his eyes “what has this got to do with Kil?”

“Everything” as if that explained it all “You see” pause “I like you, as in like like you” Arthur looked at Merlin doing the little finger movements to bracket the word which made it all come to a crashing holt 

“Ahh” It was small and quite but Arthur nodded his head so he heard it and understood that Merlin now got it ‘got it as in a brick wall had hit him face on, but got it non the less’

“So you” he pointed at Arthur “like me” he points back to himself “And Cenred” he pointed outside “knows and is using my cat against us” silence fell as Arthur yet again gave a short nod of agreement

“THAT BASTARD” Merlin stood quickly making Arthur look up in shock at the loud outburst “I’ll kill him” he was fuming ‘how dare he use my cat to get to Arthur’ 

But Arthur as calm as someone could be in this situation just replied with a simple “when I find him you wont need too kill him, because I’ll have already done it” Arthur got up then and put his hands on Merlin’s shoulders making the slimmer man turn to face him, a moment of silence yet again slipped over them as they looked at one another

“You ok?” Arthur sounded so unsure again when he spoke not looking away from Merlin’s eyes and what else could Merlin do but nod

“Okay, well first thing’s first” And just like that Arthur kissed him before Merlin could even think of how that sentence was going to end, and the kiss that was so gentle and finished before Merlin could respond, even though he wanted to respond

Arthur gave a gentle sign, his eyes still closed “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now” Arthur let go of his shoulders and opened his eyes, he moved away then reaching in his pocket

Merlin just stayed their in the moment in complete silence and raised a hand and run a finger along his lips, he could still feel Arthur’s warm, soft lips on his still like the kiss was lingering not wanting to end even though Arthur had pulled away

He watched as Arthur dialed a number into his phone and then started talking on his phone, Arthur spoke quietly as he walked around but soon enough he finished talking and pocketed the phone again

“Gwaine has a lead” and his smile said it all

before he knew it he was running from his flat following Arthur out onto the street, they only stood their for a moment before the same black car pulled up with a grinning Gwaine sat behind the wheel


	12. A weird day

As soon as the car door closed Gwaine drove away, weaving in and out of the traffic that always made London come to a standstill not matter what day it was.

“Information Gwaine” Arthur had his phone out typing away as Gwaine started to talk, the mob boss Arthur was back as he spoke back and forth with Gwaine as Merlin sat looking from one to the other but he didn’t understand a word they both said as they spoke in some kind of code with each other that he really didn’t understand so he gave up trying to understand them 

Merlin couldn’t help but do a double take on the man sitting next to him in the back, the Arthur from the flat who was relaxed and calmer was gone fully now and was replaced with a harder looking and sounding man, Arthur was still the blonde haired man in a perfectly fitting suit but his body language was stiffer and straight backed and his features wore a hard and emotionless expression and Merlin saw now first hand how different he was when on a job 

The two men kept talking and Arthur kept typing at his phone and Merlin sat looking out the window as the SUV dodged the busy London traffic, Gwaine drove around them as if he was on a race track and the horns kept blaring out as the black car over took and dodged the taxi’s, buses and cars but Gwaine took no noticed as he kept on driving and talking Arthur through the information he had

 

They were in the car for no more than 30 minutes but they were now on a rougher side of London that Merlin had never visited, and he was glad he hadn’t it wasn’t the kind of place you went for a day trip with friends

The houses were run down and litter was covering the roads and pathments and the allies were dark and dismal even at this hour, it was like the sun didn’t reach this side of the big city and Merlin just wished he’d stayed home now and waited for Arthur to just bring his cat home to him, but he was an idiot that never thought things through so here he was 

“Don’t look so nervous Merlin” Arthur let a small snort out when he saw the look on Merlin’s face and when had the two stopped talking? 

“Shut up prat” Merlin just snapped back and tried to ignore the smirk that covered Arthur’s face ‘no one should look that good with a smirk’ “it looks like any moment someone will get shot” and the thing that troubled Merlin more was that Arthur didn’t disagree he just shrugged his shoulders and reached for the door handle

“Come on” Arthur opened the door as they came to a stop by a what was once white building, Merlin slid across the seat and got out the car not moving an inch from Arthur’s side as he shut the door again and Gwaine drove off and Merlin let a small sound out because where was he going? he liked the safety of the car it could get him out of this neighbour hood and back to his flat where till he met Arthur was safe and normal

Arthur just pushed on his shoulders and Merlin started walking toward the yellowing building that was missing big chunks of paint leaving the brick work underneath viewable to anyone that passed

“Where are we and what is this place” They were at the door and Merlin really didn’t want to go inside, the blue chipped door did not look welcoming at all which what did he expect when he was with Arthur

“Just one of our head quarters” it was said as if it was a normal thing, like everyone had more than one place to live and work

“And you brought a place here” Merlin looked back over his shoulder giving a slight nod to the neighbourhood

“It’s a great place to have one” with that Arthur opened the door and walked in leaving the door open for Merlin who quickly entered not wanting to be left alone, the door clicked shut behind him and Merlin got a proper look inside

The house inside was tidier and bigger than what the outside looked, all the walls were an off white with simple wooden flooring that ran from room to room, there was a small simple kitchen and the living room had a black leather sofa and matching arm chair and a small flat screen was on the wall, the rest of the walls were bare of any photo’s making the TV stand out more

It wasn’t what Merlin would have through a place owned by a mob boss would look like at all ‘not that he’d thought about it till now mind you’ it could actually be classes as a home from first view and not some head quarters for the biggest mob knowing in the EU

Merlin walked into the living room and sat down not knowing what else to do, the TV was playing the football match on a low volume

Arthur had walked off into another room leaving Merlin to watch the TV with little interest to the game but he didn’t get any message to follow Arthur so he stayed there watching the game trying to figure out what was happening because football was not his forte 

He didn’t know how long he sat there but a woman’s voice made him jump “Huh” he stood up looking at the door to see a woman standing there with large smile on her face, she was beautiful with the same dark hair as he had and the porcelain white skin that the bright red lipstick se wore made stand out even more

“Hi” She smiled now showing off her perfect white teeth making out she’d said hi before but didn’t get through Merlin’s bored brain the first few times, she walked forward stretching out a hand “I’m Morgana, Arthur’s half sister” and Merlin not knowing what to do just shuck her hand, she looked nothing like Arthur at all; Where Arthur had bright blue eyes hers were a coral green that stood out like jewels

“Oh sorry” he laughed nervously “I’m Merlin, hmm Arthur’s friend” she smirked at him and now he could see Arthur in her, it must come from their fathers side

“Hello Merlin, so did you want tea?” she raised a perfectly shaped eye brow and Merlin stuttered out a quick yes and she quickly left him alone feeling like a sixteen year old again 

 

 

Arthur soon reappeared again and sat down next to Merlin on the sofa and they both sat in silence and watched the TV, Morgana came in a few minutes later with a tray of tea and joined the two men, she noticed how close the two were sitting even on a 3 seater sofa they only took up one and a half seats

“So Merlin” she raised her eyebrow again “Where did you meet my dear brother” that Smirk could end and begin wars Merlin thought before going to answering her but before he could say a word Arthur jumped in with “half brother” before continuing to drink his tea as If he hadn’t just jumped into their conversation but Morgana only sighed at him and asked again adding the half into the conversation

“Well its….” Merlin started but Arthur jumped in again “Its none of your business harpy” making both the dark haired people in the room look at him weirdly but Morgana just smirked and got up leaving her half drank tea on the small table

“Well it was nice meeting you anyway Merlin” she shuck his hand again before facing Arthur with a more stern look “Gwaine should be back soon, I need to go out” with that she left them


	13. Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait things happened and i had no time, and i wrote this in around 30 mins so please forgive me if its got mistakes. i will edit it soon i promise and make it better
> 
> Enjoy and have a good day

Merlin didn’t see Morgana again after she left, he stayed seated on the sofa in silence even though Arthur was in the room with him, Arthur didn’t even try to make a conversation started he just sat there on his phone tapping away quickly

A knock to the door made Merlin jump and either Arthur ignored it or didn’t see as the man in question hurried to get to the door

Once the door was open Merlin could hear another mans voice but couldn’t understand the muffled voices, and soon enough the man left and he heard the door click shut and the echo of Arthur’s feet as he got closer to the living room again

“Everything okay” Merlin raised an eyebrow and Arthur just nodded and made his way through the room and sat on the same seat again and started tapping away again on his phone

“Great information” Merlin muttered to himself but he could see that Arthur had heard him when his body language got tenser

Merlin lost count of the hours they sat there in silence and the sky outside was getting darker and darker as the clock ticked on making it self seem louder in the silent room

‘Tick. Tick. Tick’ Merlin glanced at Arthur who was still tapping away and then back to his lap, before Morgana had left everything seemed fine? Then she left and Arthur became quick and closed off and it was annoying Merlin because every tick of the clock was a second longer that those murdering scum bags had Kilgharrah 

“Arthur” Merlin voice was quieter than he wanted it to be but it still seemed loud in the room “Arthur” he repeated and finally got the blonde man to look at him

Arthur stopped typing and looked at Merlin and he looked bored, and how dare he looked bored right now

“Are you going to do anything?” Merlin flung his arms in the air when Arthur just muttered under his breath and went back to his phone

“ARTHUR” he shouted now because the prat was not going to ignore him “ANSWER ME” and this did get a reaction as Arthur stood and Merlin for all his trying jumped at the quick movement 

“What” Arthur paused and breathed through his nose loudly “Do you want me to do” he raised on hand

“I want you” Merlin stood up “to get my bloody cat from that crazy man who broke into my home, hurt me and stole something invaluable to me” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing all afternoon?” Arthur voice sounded different 

“Sitting here on your phone instead of going out there” Merlin pointed out the window as he carried on speaking “and found my cat” 

“I can’t just walk into Cenreds den and demand he give me and bloody cat you idiot” And that was it for Merlin and before he knew it he’d made it from one side of the room to the other and slapped Arthur. 

“You…. You PRAT” and with that Merlin walked out and before a shocked Arthur could reach him Merlin was out the door, out of the safety of the house and was walking through the gate way heading in the way the car had come many hours ago

“SHIT” Arthur yelled to no one and grabbed his jacket 

 

Merlin hadn’t been this angry since he was a child and his father had walked out on him and his mother, he was angry and upset and confused more than anything because he’d trusted Arthur, he trusted him and now look where he was

With that thought he stopped and looked around, he had no idea where he was or how to get back to his side of town, it had gotten darker out and the street he was standing in looked worse now than it did this morning when Gwaine had driven here

The houses looked even more uninviting and the side ally’s screamed murder, and he’d left so quickly that he didn’t even now which house was Arthur’s 

He carried on walking, hoping he’d make it out of this neighbour hood and could make it to a place that had taxis, then he realised he had left his jacket behind with his wallet and phone in so he was really screwed

“Damn it” he scolded himself under his breath for being such an idiot, he carried on walking making sure to quicken his steps as he made it further down the street, the lights illuminated the dull grey slabs under his feet with a dull orange glow not making it any brighter in the long run

He walked and walked and he swore he was going in circles, everything looked the same 

“Hey there” A voice behind him made him swing around

It was a man mid 40’s he’d say from the quick glance, his greying beard covered the whole bottom half of his face whilst long greasy hair covered the top and hung in strands over his eyes which were baring into Merlin making him feel even more on ease, his brown eyes seemed to bore into the soul and Merlin shuddered and the man saw making his uneasy grin stretch further on his pasty face

“Umm” Merlin forgot all words in this moment, his heart was hammering away in his chest he thought for a moment that it may escape his chest and wondered if the guy could hear it

“Well aren’t you a pretty sight for around here” He moved a step closer and Merlin on instinct moved back two “where you from pretty” he took another step and Merlin repeated the movement back again

“Not from here, sorry I have to go” he stuttered out and carried on backing up picking up pace

“Don’t go son, we only just met” the guys voice was making Merlin shudder and he just wanted Arthur because Arthur would save him, he’d make sure Merlin was safe

“I know but I need to be somewhere” Merlin went to turn but the guy was to close and he grabbed his shoulder “I don’t think so” The man growled out and Merlin froze

“Please release my arm” he begged “I have no money on me” he prayed the guy would leave him knowing he’d get nothing from him but it didn’t and Merlin cursed in his head 

“I’m not after Money” he sneered 

“I have nothing else I can offer” Merlin’s voice now carried a slight hint of fear which he knew wasn’t a good thing but who could blame him?

 

He was so busy begging this man to let his arm go he didn’t see a man come up behind the creepy man until he spoke

“Let him go Al” and the guy let go quicker than he’d grabbed him and quickly moved away into the shadows leaving Merlin with this mystery man

The new man moved from the shadow and Merlin recognised him from the coffee shop and before he could get the name in his head he was knocked over the head from behind ‘when had someone snuck up behind him’ was his last thought as everything went black 

 

 

Arthur left the house quickly and followed the direction Merlin went in muttering to himself as he message all the knights to come here, he walked the familiar streets but couldn’t see Merlin any where, even in the dark evening light he couldn’t see anyone on the streets

He carried on walked for a while longer till he saw a familiar van driving west away from him “Cenred” he growled out squeezing his phone so hard he was surprised it didn’t snap

He walked quicker now trying to spot Merlin, he didn’t want him out here now he knew that Cenred was prowling these same streets but no matter where he went he couldn’t found the man any where and his gut started to churn because he knew in a small part of his brain that Cenred must have gotten Merlin, but he didn’t want to believe it 

He turned a corner and saw a middle aged man leaning against the bins, he quickly went over and before the guy could run he grabbed his shirt collar and started asking questions about Merlin

“Have you seen a man? Around 6ft black hair, blue eyes, wearing a red shirt and jeans?” and the guy nodded which made Arthur grip tighten

“WHERE” he growled out loudly and the guy tensed more under his hand

“Cen” he didn’t finish his sentence before he was slammed into the wall and he slid to the floor joining the garbage already there

 

 

Arthur quickly moved away from the man and rang Gwaine “We have a problem” he spoke before Gwaine could speak and ended the call before Gwaine could answer 

 

He made his way back to the house knowing Gwaine would soon be there to pick him up


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not that happy with it but i kind of got writers block on this"

Merlin woke with a pained groan; his head hurt and his body felt too heavy to move, it was only when he tried to move said body that he realized that he couldn’t. He opened his eyes which was more effort than it should have been, the room was in darkness apart from a single small light that gave him enough light to see he was tied down to a chair. The wooden chair explained the pain shooting through his body, his hands and ankles where tied down with thick rope that chafed his skin when he moved, no doubt that his skin was already pink and broken from the rough material 

 

Once it had final cleared in his confused brain that he was in fact tied to a chair In a dark unfamiliar chair he began to panic, his pulled a bit harder on the restraints but they wouldn’t budge, all it did was make his skin even more sore as it rubbed with each movement 

He stopped moving and sat in silence for a few seconds trying his best to calm down, the silence was deafening so he called out “Hello” once the shout left his mouth he figured that it probably wasn’t the best thing to do, yet because this was Merlin he did it again and listened as his voiced carried on around the room in a loud echo

A door behind him creaked open but he couldn’t turn his head far enough to see who was coming which made him tense 

“Ahh he wakes” A deep voice spoke behind him from the door way, they voice made Merlin shudder ‘and not in a good way’ he tried to turn again but again couldn’t

“Who are you?” he knew his voice had a tint of fear in there ‘Okay a lot of fear’ but he wasn’t used to the whole tied to a chair in a dark room thing so he was scared about the whole situation, one minute he was arguing with Arthur the next… 

“You can call me…” the man paused for a second breaking Merlin’s thoughts “King” he spoke again, the man walked around to stand in front of Merlin and he listened to every foot step as it got closer, and with each foot fall his fear grew 

The man’s silhouette stood in front of him and Merlin couldn’t see any features due to the dark and the man was blocking the small light with his body but Merlin could see how skinny and tall the man was and his hair was long resting on his shoulders 

The man ‘King’ crouched down in front of him letting the light flood the room with a small glow letting Merlin see the man’s features, Merlin gasped and it must have been quite loud as the man’s grin grew on his scruffy face

“You” Merlin recognised him from the coffee shop, the man who came in late in that well fitted suit 

“Me” the man’s voice made Merlin’s hair stand up “hello again” he brought his hand up and Merlin tried to tilt his head away but he couldn’t and the mans touch made him flinch 

“Now, now pretty” he stroked his cheek and Merlin wanted to puke just from this mans touch

“Get your hands off me” his voice broke as the man kept on touching his cheek “I SAID” he was cut off though by the smirking man

“I know what you said pretty” he laughed “Doesn’t mean I’m going to do it though” but he did pull his hand away as he spoke “now be nice and I will be nice in return” 

The room fell silent as king stood up again “I need some information, Pretty” he turned his back to Merlin and walked into the dark corner to Merlin’s right

“I don’t know anything” Merlin sobbed out because as he finished his reply he saw the flash of metal as it hit the light and Merlin knew this couldn’t be good 

“Oh but you do” King turned and Merlin saw something sharp in his hand “you know Pendragon” his voice was calm as he moved forward again

“Please” he begged as King came closer “I don’t know anything” his eyes never left the sharp object that king carried loosely in his right hand 

King just kept walking forward thought ignoring Merlin’s please; he ran what Merlin could see now was a thin knife along his cheek bone making him close his eyes tight, yet king took no notice as he ran the side of the bland along Merlin’s face and neck, not breaking the skin beneath the blade though as he moved it in gentle strokes 

 

This went on for a while in complete silence

 

King was so busy teasing a now crying Merlin he didn’t hear the commotion going on outside the room, he didn’t hear the grunts and groans of his men dying, he didn’t hear the gun shots till one was right outside the door

The shot made him jump and the blade sank into Merlin’s shoulder leaving a long deep cut in its wake, the knife quickly left Merlin’s body though

The pain made Merlin cry out as the blood made his t-shirt turn crimson at the collar 

The door opened with a loud bang which made Merlin jump as the sound echoed through the room, then as quickly as the door had opened two shots were fired making Merlin whimper, his cry’s didn’t make it over the sound of the shots though

Merlin didn’t remember anything else as a black cloud cover his eye sight and his body grew heavy in the hard wooden chair


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No excuse for the long wait. sorry its short but i hope you like it   
> let me know if there are any mistakes 
> 
> thanks for reading

Merlin woke to more darkness and yet another unfamiliar room; he blinked his heavy eyes trying to adjust to the light but his head hurt to much to fully focus on the darkness that surrounded him

Unlike last time he wasn’t tied down and he could stand and walk around without restraint, he felt out around him but everything in arms reach was open space with no clues as to where he was or how he got here

The last thing he remembered was gun shots outside the room Cenred was holding him in, then the man in question fell when a bullet whizzed past his head missing him by inches but that was it

 

Merlin didn't know how much time passed in the dark room, no windows or light could give him a rough time, but the whole time he'd been awake here no noise had been heard inside or outside the room, he didn't move from the cold dark spot he'd woken in, not wanting to move at all because maybe if he ignored the fact that he hadn't been rescued but kidnapped again he might just wake from this night mare and actually go back to arguing with Arthur like before.

 

*** 

four days had gone by since Merlin was taken and Arthur hadn't slept or ate properly, how could he when the man he loved was out there some where with an enemy to the Pendragon name? he paced the minutes away as Gwaine and the others searched the online CCTV camera's trying to track any movement that could be linked to Merlin's disappearance

The only place that made sense to hold someone like Merlin had already been dealt with when Arthur and his men got there, Cenred lay dead in a cold pool of his own blood and there was no trace that Merlin had ever been there?

Arthur couldn't even celebrate that the man who had been his arch enemy since he was a boy was dead because Merlin was still out there somewhere and he needed to be found and fast

 

***

No one came to Merlin and he still had no idea how long he'd been here and who was holding him, no food or water had been given and no indication towards who and where he was was found in the dark room

he curled in on himself on the cold floor his clothes doing nothing against the chill, he would not cry though; he will not show weakness to his captures even if they couldn't see him, or maybe they could he didn't know so he kept the tears at bay and curled just a little tighter hugging his knees to his chest as he lay there wishing for it all to end 

***

"He will break" a man's gravelly voice echoed in the small room talking to know one in particular as e watched the screen, he was only 3 rooms from Merlin and the night vision camera showed how Merlin had clung to himself shivering in the cold, dark and abandoned room "he is weak and if he's half starved and confused he will soon give in to the questions we have to ask" the second man said his face was hidden in the shadows of the old warehouse office like the other man who was half hidden under his wide hood leaving only the bare minim of skin on show from where he sat 

"Good, leave him for another day to really feel the effect" both men let a low and deep laugh fill the dark room before the silence fell again and they sank into their chairs letting the natural darkness of night hide any features


	16. Chapter 16

Merlin’s head hurt and his body felt numb and weak all over, he sat against the cold brick wall behind him with his head down looking at his now tatty and ripped jeans, he didn’t even raise his head when the door creaked open from the other side of the dim room

He saw more than heard feet come closer but he didn’t look up to who ever stood above him casting a faint shadow over him from the light outside the door, he didn’t have the energy to care to see who had taken him and put him through this, he really didn’t give a damn if he was honest, he just hoped and prayed it would end soon how ever that may be!

He was so busy in his own head he didn’t hear when the person started talking but a kick to his limp leg made him jerk slightly back to reality, he heard a voice after he came back to the present but it just sounded underwater and far away, his head was spinning and focusing on anything was far too hard to even think about let alone do!

The voice seemed to go on and on but Merlin didn’t understand or hear a word of it; He wished who ever was there would just go away or end it once and for all but that didn’t happen as he was grabbed by the elbow and pulled up on his wobbly uncooperative legs 

 

He was dragged out of the room and the light burnt his tired eyes and all he wanted to do was close them but he couldn’t as he was tugged and pulled along a brightly light hall way

All the rooms and walls were blurred to Merlin and it all seemed to be moving around and up and down and he just couldn’t focus on a thing, but the person dragging him didn’t care as they kept going at a slow but harsh pace

 

What seemed like hours of being roughly dragged he was pushed harshly into a chair that luckily had arms because without them he would have slumped one way or the other and landed in a heap on the dusty floor

He head was bowed and his body limp as he sat there, he could hear voices but again they were unclear in his head.

Someone came closer and a cold shock rocked his body, the shock made his body and mind wake up and things around him become clearer, his eyes seemed to clear as well as his mind and hearing

It was only when his senses seemed to clear that he realized it was icy water that made his clothes wet and made his mind clear again, he began to shake from shock as well as the cold ice feeling that gripped to his skin with his clothes

“Welcome back, Emry’s” the voice was gravely and sounded older than any human should be, when Merlin looked up he couldn’t see the mans face from behind the dark green hood “Shall we begin?” the question was asked but Merlin knew there was only one answer and his ‘No’ answer wouldn’t have been it.

****

He was asked all sorts of questions that he didn't know; Questions of Arthur and the Knights, questions he didn't understand or know anything about because he didn't know anything about Arthur's business or life, the Arthur he knew was different to the one that these two hooded men were talking about but how could he make them understand that?

They didn't seem to care either about harming him as the slaps and punches kept coming after each wrong or silent answer, they seemed to get bored of his face and moved from his stomach to his ribs and back to his stomach again, then a slap to his face came out of know where making a loud gasp leave his lips, the pain dulled though over time and Merlin seemed to slip back into a numb and weak state as more and more time went by and the questions didn't stop even though in all the time that had gone by they hadn't achieved anything 

****

A bottle of water and half a moldy loaf was thrown at him in the chair some time later, his body was bruising all over and the swelling to his eyes was getting worse as the time went on, but he grabbed at the water and food and ate and drank as quickly as he possibly could; soon enough it was all gone and he moaned at the loss of the first meal and water in days.

His clothes were clinging uncomfortably to his weak frame, they had dried quite a bit but the wet cold material didn't seem to allow any heat to reach his body

He dropped the plastic bottle on the floor and he watched as the bottle rolled away from where he was sitting, that's the last thing he remember as he eyes quickly give out to a uneasy and uncomfortable sleep


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes. written in basically half an hour on a tablet :L

5 days; 5 whole days had passed now and Arthur couldn’t think straight any more, he needed to find Merlin and he needed to find him yesterday. He’d hardly slept and when he did it was a few hours at most before he woke with a start asking if the knights had anything, but every time it was the same answer, it was frustrating Arthur no end

“Arthur please sit down for 5 minutes and eat something, you are no use to anyone like this” Morgana’s voice crept into his foggy brain yet he didn’t do as she asked, how could he when Merlin was out there somewhere or worse dead 

“I can’t Morgana, I can’t sit and breathe whilst he’s out there” He wouldn’t allow his voice to break “He could be dead” at that Morgana stood and strode over to her brother pulling him round to face her making him look at her properly for the first time in days

“Arthur” her voice was the gentlest he’d ever heard “We will find him, and he will be alive” she stroked his cheek gentle and caring and quickly pulled him into a hug wrapping her long slender arms around his neck holding him against her, it was strange neither of them hugged; in his whole life he could count on one hand how many times they had made any kind of contact like this because it wasn’t what they did

He clung on to her harder as she spoke and pulled the tears that threatened to fall back, he would not cry. After a long pause he spoke into her neck

“I love him” Where had that come from? He hadn’t meant to say that but he couldn’t regret what was true “I do” more a question to himself than Morgana, he pulled away from Morgana’s shoulder and looked into her bright green eyes “I love him, yet I let him walk out and get caught in my mess” his vision started to blur again from unshed tears but he would not let them fall, he had to stay strong for Merlin, he was a mob boss not a baby he needed to get his act together and be the Arthur Pendragon that people feared 

Morgana just looked at him, her smile obvious in her eyes that seemed to tell him everything he needed without words, how she understood him and what he was thinking and a small smile gifted his chapped lips in return

He stood up and pulled his now crinkled suit straight and let out a loud gasp of air letting his heavy lungs deflate, feeling better he walked over to Gwaine and Leon who had ignored the whole scene between Arthur and Morgana. Gwaine was on the computer and Leon was hovering over him.

“Anything?” his question was understood by both men and within a second of finishing his word Leon spoke up

“Yes” he raised his hand to silent Arthur before he started asking every question that popped into his head “We have information about a wear house not 10 minutes east of here” he pointed at the screen Gwaine had clicked on “There has been a lot of movement here the past few days, or so our source has said, its abandoned and should be dead, yet he’s seen men in and out for days” 

Arthur was silent for a moment before he asked for the directions, Gwaine got up grabbing the keys near the keyboard and walked out the room with a quick “boss” the door clicked shut and both Arthur and Leon quickly followed leaving Morgana behind where she sat, she gave a silent wave as they walked out the house 

Arthur and Leon followed Gwaine quickly into his car “tell me everything Leon as we go” the door wasn’t even shut before the request came but Leon did and soon enough the old building came into view.

The building was nothing special, a mix of deep red brick and grey stone walls with a missing roof; there were places he could see from the road where time had destroyed the building, they pulled up near by and they all got out quickly ready to move in when Arthur gave his word 

“Our source told us that the men were always hooded, and two of them stayed over night?” Leon looked at his boss “That’s all we got out of him, it could be nothing” he looked at Arthur and Arthur knew it was a ‘don’t get your hopes up’ look without the words being said and Arthur understood, it could be nothing but homeless people but he hoped it was something connecting them to Merlin

 

They stuck around the back of the building finding an old red peeling door that hung limply in the frame, it was easy to enter the building and soon they were moving along old corridors listening for any sort of noise, but so far nothing but a few pigeons had made themselves known 

Arthur was growing inpatient as they moved further into the building, no life was showing itself to either of them, all the rooms seemed empty of life and had been for some time

Even in the day the building was dark and hard to navigate, floor boards creaked and doors squeaked as they moved along looking for any clue that people had been here

They made it to the second floor before a clue appeared, a rag lay on the floor so Leon moved to inspect it, he picked it up and raised it eye level and Arthur even in the poor light recognised it, it was Merlin’s jumper and it was wet and had blood stains covering the front but it was defiantly Merlin’s 

Seeing the blood made Arthur angry, his temper was reaching its top level and he needed to find the ones responsible now and take care of the pathetic low lives that had made his Merlin bleed

He clicked the safety of his pistol and moved quicker through the building, he was careful to not make much noise.

Five rooms later and he found them, two hooded individuals sat in a dark room and they seemed to be watching something, Arthur moved in quickly making both men jump up to their feet but before they could say a word two loud rings echoed through the building as smoke appeared at the end of his pistol

The now lifeless bodies cleared the back of the room and made the screen obvious to Arthur. He walked over quickly and gasped when he saw what was on the screen

“Merlin” he reached his hand out and touched the screen, Merlin lay slumped in a chair and Arthur couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive from the grainy screen

“LEON” he yelled and the man in question ran to him “Look around we need to find him” Leon only nodded before taking off to the left with Gwaine, Arthur gave one last look at the screen before he left and went right, he will find him; he had too.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPER SHORT sorry, but more soon i promise

Arthur couldn’t believe his eyes as he entered a room the other side of the building from where the two hooded men he’d just shot, Merlin was right there, he was in touching distance and yet he seemed so far away

Arthur finally find his legs again from where he’d frozen and all but ran to Merlin, he signed loudly as he felt his pulse point and felt a faint but there pulse

“Merlin” patting the mans cheek he got no response “Merlin” again nothing ‘come on Merlin’ he muttered to himself and cupped Merlin’s head in both hands “Merlin please come on wake up” his thumb rubbed his cold cheeks, it was a few seconds till a small moan filled his ears and he couldn’t help but smile a little “that’s right, come on wake up” 

Merlin groaned again and began to stir; his blue eyes looked dull and filled with pain as they opened for a few moments before closing again 

“tfur” Merlin’s voice was so small and week but he knew what he said and his smile grew again “Yes Merlin its Arthur, come on I need you to look at me so we can get you out of here” and Merlin did open his eyes again but not for long before they closed again and his stiff cold body went limp in the chair and his breathing grew heavier 

“LEON, GWAINE” Arthur yelled out not knowing if his men would hear him, it was a few minutes before two very out of breath men appeared “Boss” they both said in unison but neither looked at him as they focused fully on an unconscious Merlin 

“Help me move him, we need to get him out of here” all three men lifted Merlin up and made there way back to the car, what seemed like hours later they finally made it out of the building and back to the car, they all let a sign of relief out as they got in and positioned Merlin on the back seat with his head resting on Arthur’s lap

“Hospital” Arthur instruction as Gwaine got behind the wheel and without a word Gwaine began to drive with a silent Leon in the front seat next to him


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://archiveofourown.org/works/5334878 AMAZING ART by rufferto (Big thank you)

Merlin was beyond tired of waking up in strange places that all smelt and felt weird; he just wanted to wake up at home in his cozy bed with his cat and just go about his life like a usual human being

His eyes were blurred as he looked around and saw nothing but white everywhere from the roof to the floor, the bed he was laying in was soft and cozy but the blanket itched his dry skin; He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and quickly let a sharp hiss out as something pulled on his hand making a sharp pain appear up his arm and ran through his fingers, he saw a drip in his hand as his vision slowly cleared.... "what?" his voice was barely audible and hoarse as he spoke and it made his throat ache but he didn't understand where he was or what was happening

 

"Easy" a sleepy male voice came from his right and he turned to look and recognized Gwaine sitting in the chair next to his bed, his hair was unruly like he'd been asleep and his posture was slumped in what looked like the worlds hardest chair, the man in question gave him a large smile that only Gwaine could pull off in this kind of situation but it made Merlin smile back even if it was only small

"hey, you gave us all a bit of a scare" Gwaine raised an eyebrow that disappeared behind his fringe but his smile never left his face "Arthur just went to get a coffee he'll be back in a moment" he sat straighter letting a few groans fill the room as his body cracked and creaked from sitting and sleeping in a chair, looked out the small gap left in the curtain around Merlin's bed as he spoke of Arthur as if he was trying to locate the man in question but he soon looked back to Merlin when he found nothing of interest outside the small private cubical 

 

"How long?" Merlin voice wasn't strong enough to finish his sentence but he knew that Gwaine knew what he meant, he didn't speak for a while as he reached for the water and helped Merlin take a few mouthfuls making his dry achy throat feel slightly better. 

"six days" his eyes were downcast as he spoke "Arthur never stopped for a moment" he looked threw his lashes at Merlin as he spoke of Arthur, and it made Merlin ache with want, he wanted so much to see Arthur in the flesh because he needed to know he was truly safe and not dreaming but Merlin gave a small smile and kept his eyes on Gwaine's face even as the man again looked down at his hands. He wanted to say so much; wanted to say he didn't blame Gwaine but his voice just wouldn't work even through it had a million things to say.

****

Gwaine left sometime later leaving Merlin to himself, he knew that the man had things to do so he just smiled and gave a small wave as he left with a quick goodbye and a shoulder squeeze. 

Merlin lay there in silence thinking over all he'd been through and how he wanted so badly to blame Arthur and the knights but how could he blame them, he left the safety of the house and he willingly hung around them all, how he willingly gave his feelings to Arthur over the short time they'd known one another, he should have run the moment Arthur stepped into his once boring life, should have slammed the door in his face and forgot about the blonde man, but he didn't and it got him where he was now. but how could he regret the times before the argument and the kidnapping. 

****

He didn't know when Arthur came into his cubical but one minute he was thinking over everything lost in his own mind and the next he had an armful of Arthur, and how they clung to one another for a few moments before the pain made itself know throughout his battered body

"Sorry, sorry" Arthur murmured when Merlin let a small whimper out

Merlin raised his one hand and cupped Arthur's cheek trying his hardest to let the emotions flood through his actions because his words could not escape his damage throat, and the smile he got in return was enough of an answer to tell him it worked, he felt how Arthur's cheek moved under his hand, felt his lips curve upwards and it was the best feeling Merlin had felt in a very long time 

"I missed you" Arthur's words a simple whisper. Oh how badly he wanted to return those words

"iss'd u" he mumbled and began to cough and splutter as the words ripped at his sore and dry throat, Arthur copied Gwaine's actions as he grabbed the water and Merlin happily took mouthful after mouthful of cold fresh water. It didn't help him talk but it took the raw feeling away for a while

 

"Shhhh" Arthur stroked Merlin's cheek as he took hungry sips "Don't talk yet, you have an infection and talking will make it worse" he looked at Merlin like he wanted to say more but he didn't his emotions cleared again and a blank look crossed his face

the silence was shattered a few moment later by Arthur's voice "They're all dead" he didn't look Merlin in the eye as he spoke "We find them all and we took care of it, you will not be bothered again" his voice was bitter as he carried on talking about how a group who called themselves the Catha had taken Merlin and how they were looking for information on Arthur and his operations "I'm sorry you got dragged into this, I never wanted you to get harmed because of me" his voice was more soothing now, it sounded more like his Arthur than the mod boss Merlin knew he was when he wasn't with Merlin

 

That was the end of that conversation and Arthur sat down in the chair Gwaine had not long vacated, things turned lighter as Arthur spoke of different things they would do when Merlin finally got his voice back and got out of the hospital, and Merlin listened on and nodded along with a smile because he couldn't wait to do half the things Arthur promised 

He was also happy that the darkness had left Arthur's voice and face because he didn't care about that information just yet, there was time for that later when he was better and home, but right now he just wanted to sit and listen to the future Arthur spoke off 

****

A week later Merlin was finally released from hospital and he happily left the horrid bed and needles behind, Arthur had his arm wrapped tightly around his waist as they left and Merlin couldn't be happier to be going home 'or back to Arthur's in this case' he just wanted to get into a comfy bed and sleep for a month and if Arthur was there by his side then that was an added bonus


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need idea's so please feel free to leave comments and idea's :)

The ride back to Arthur's home was long and boring but Merlin was so happy to finally be out of hospital, when they reached a large brick building that looked more like a 5 star hotel than a block of flats Merlin knew they'd reached Arthur's home this was the first time he'd seen or been to where Arthur lived because Arthur usually came to his

The lobby was posh and large with bright red walls and matching carpets; the dark mahogany wood made the place look older than it probably was

Arthur pulled him along as they made their way to the lift that was on the other side of the room, Merlin couldn't help but look around and caught the small smile on Arthur's face as they moved through the lobby.

Arthur was on the last floor, his penthouse flat was like nothing Merlin could even think or imagine in his head; it took the whole top floor up unlike the other floors below that had the usual 4 rooms per floor. The walls were a light cream and white and the floor was a crystal clear marble that glistened with each step he took, the furniture was either plain white or light brown wood and had minimal items scattered on the wooden surfaces

A huge wide screen TV sat on a large white and glass table near the double glass doors that must go out to a balcony, a few pictured frames filled the walls but from here Merlin couldn't see what the photo's were of.

There were ornaments on shelves that Merlin knew would be priceless so he didn't go near them or even dare look for to long because knowing his luck they would fall off the shelves just because he looked at them

A huge white with black trim 6 seater corner sofa came into view as the walked further into the living room and it was the most inviting thing Merlin has seen for a long time, before he knew it his legs were taking him to it and he ignore the words Arthur was saying to him as he made his way towards the sofa and soon enough he crashed into the cozy padded seat that seemed to suck him into the fabric making him feel like he was sitting on a marshmallow, a loud sigh left his mouth as his eyes closed and he sank further into the sofa

from somewhere else in the room he heard a small laugh that must have been Arthur but right now he didn't care about anything but the sofa that had claimed him as its willing victim, he was happy and comfy and now he just wanted to sleep but Arthur came over and sat next to him making the cushion below him tilt slightly left under Arthur's weight

"Come one sleepy head, there's a perfectly nice bed waiting just down the hall" Arthur patted his thigh as he spoke and soon stood up again and pulled an unhelpful mumbling Merlin with him, Merlin was then dragged away from the sofa and down a long corridor, he turned back and watched as the sofa got further away and soon disappeared from his view and he wanted to moan but before he could they entered a room that held a bed that only his dreams could make up

It was a hugh four poster that had so many pillows on it that the mattress was hard to see, but he could just make out a silk red duvet from under the multitude of pillows, his feet seemed to speed up and Arthur followed, he stripped down to his boxers with a bit of Arthur's help due to his unhelpful flaying limbs but soon enough he all but jumped on the bed making pillows jump around, some falling onto the cream carpeted floor but he didn't care he just rubbed his face into the soft pillow below his head, he sighed as he pulled the duvet over his head, the cold material quickly warmed under and around his body and Arthur soon joined him making the mattress dip and Merlin rolled towards Arthur's body without any fight, Merlin's back collided with Arthur's naked chest and Arthur's arms wrapped around his waist pulling him even closer to his body, Merlin smiled at the feeling of being here with Arthur and the warmth he provided, the warmth the bed and Arthur seemed to produce made him even more tired than before.

"Sleep" Arthur murmured into his neck his hot breath ghosting over his skin making him shudder before he felt his eyes grow heavy and he succumb to sleep in Arthur's strong arms

 

Arthur lay there for a while longer just reeling in the feeling of having Merlin so close his soft warm skin pressed against his as they lay their together, he heard Merlin's breath even out as sleep took over the brunette and Arthur smiled into Merlin's neck, he would never get over the feeling of being like this with Merlin; he didn't know why Merlin was so different to anyone else he'd lay with but with Merlin he finally felt at home and with the one person he could trust for the first time in his 28 years


	21. Chapter 21

Waking up in Arthur's embrace was the best thing Merlin had felt in years, his eyes fluttered open and he leaned back into Arthur who was still asleep, they hadn't moved much in sleep and Arthur's grip was still strong around his body and when Merlin moved slightly his grip tightened and pulled him back so he was pressed against him again making Merlin chuckle lightly

The sky outside was bright and it shone through the curtains letting rays of light shine around the big room, Merlin could hear birds singing and the daily noise of London below him, it was more muffled than his own flat but it was good hearing the familiar sounds again. A soft mumble came from behind him so he knew Arthur was waking, his breath making Merlin shudder again as it heated his skin.

Arthur rubbed his nose into Merlin's neck as the sleep left his brain and he woke slowly, he kissed the skin under his lips and felt Merlin shudder under his touch and it made him wake quicker, he opened his eyes and blinked away the sleep, Merlin had turned his head around to face him at a weird angle but his blue eyes filled Arthur's and a smile formed on both of the men's face

"Morn'n" Merlin whispered tiredly and turned in Arthur's arms so he was facing him, their legs entwined, Arthur met his lips in a light but demanding kiss and who was Merlin to say no as he pressed his lips harder against Arthur's, a moan left the blonde man as he pulled Merlin closer so they were chest to chest and they kept kissing till they pulled away gasping for breathe 

"What time is it" Arthur asked as he looked over his shoulder and before Merlin could answer Arthur shot out of bed "Come on up, up" he smiled his contagious smile at Merlin as he shuffled around pulling on some grey trackies and a plain t-shirt 'a look Merlin had never seen on Arthur but approved of' "Come on Merlin i have a surprise for you" and he left the room before Merlin could say a word of protest.

Merlin slipped out of the warm bed and pulled on a pair of plaid pajama bottom's and a black t-shirt that lay on the chair next to the bed and they fit rather well, he moved out the room and heard water running, he made his way to the room and find Arthur brushing his teeth, Arthur pointed to a spare new tooth brush as Merlin entered the room and Merlin quickly joined Arthur.

 

As he was finishing the door bell chimed filling the whole flat with a high pitched noise "stay here" Arthur kissed him 'toothpaste and all' and left the bathroom, Merlin heard Arthur make his way to the front door and then he was talking but it was muffled so he just finished up in the bathroom, soon he heard the door shut and Arthur shout out his name. He made his way back towards the living area and spotted Arthur looking out the glass balcony doors, before he reached him Arthur spoke again

"I have a surprise for you" as he spoke he slowly turned and Merlin's eyes grew larger as a familiar furry body came into view from Arthur's arms

"Kilgharrah" he murmured as he came to a stop just looking at his cat as he lay happily in Arthur's arms "how.. when" he started to question but Arthur just walked to him and placed a furry bundle into his arms 

"later" he kissed Merlin's cheek as he passed the cat over and stepped away "just enjoy having him back" Arthur stepped away from Merlin and made his way out the room and towards another room that must have been the kitchen 

Merlin collapsed onto the sofa that was thankfully behind him and clung to Kilgharrah and for once the cat didn't seem to mind being help so tightly as loud meow's echoes through the flat as he rubbed up against Merlin's chest covering the black t-shirt in fur

 

Arthur came back into the room with two mugs and placed one on the table in front of Merlin before sitting next to the brunette man with a mug in his hands "Happy" he smiled at Merlin 

"Beyond happy, Arthur" he lent into the blonde resting his head on his shoulder "Thank you so much" Kil just lay there as Merlin moved into Arthur

"Anything for you" Arthur whispered into Merlin's hair and Merlin hummed under his breath, they sat there for a long time before Arthur moved away placing his now empty mug on the table "I need to go out for a while, but i'll be back this afternoon' he kissed Merlin before getting up and making his way to the bedroom, he reappeared not long after dressed in his sharp charcoal coloured suit looking more like the Arthur Merlin first met, he said goodbye quickly and left Merlin alone with Kil in the large unfamiliar flat

Kil soon got bored and jumped down and started exploring the room, Merlin took the mugs into the kitchen and started washing the dirty mugs, he reboiled the kettle and made a fresh coffee before he walked room from room exploring Arthur's flat

 

The flat was impressive with two large guest bedrooms and an office with a wall filled with old books, Merlin wasn't sure how long went by before Arthur returned but when he did Merlin was curled up on the sofa with Kil on his chest watching TV, Arthur still looked as sharp as he did when he left and he smiled at Merlin before making his way towards the bedroom, Merlin soon heard the shower and left Arthur to it, to comfy with Kil to go and find or join Arthur

 

Arthur joined him and Kil on the sofa not long after in the same grey trackies and t-shirt from the morning but this time his blonde hair was damp from a shower. Arthur sat on the sofa and quickly placed Merlin's head on his lap running his warm fingers through Merlin's brunette locks and Merlin hummed at the motion that felt so right, Kilgharrah purred away as Merlin stroked his fur in a familiar motion to what Arthur was doing to his hair. 

Merlin couldn't remember being as happy as he was right now, he just wish the bad things didn't have to happen to get where he was with Arthur now, but we didn't want to think of that so he closed his eyes and enjoyed the attention Arthur was giving him

Arthur couldn't help stroking Merlin's hair as he watched the TV not really paying it attention, the look on Merlin's face was far better than what ever program was playing.


	22. Chapter 22

A month after the ordeal everything was beginning to get back to normal for both the men and Kilgharrah, Merlin went back to work at the cafe 'that was a little longer away but either Gwaine or Leon took him there and brought him back' he was happy to see Gwen and everyone again and it felt great being back there, he didn't realize till he was back how much he missed his job and friends, he also didn't realize how much things had changed but he couldn't regret a thing 'well the kidnapping part he could but he didn't want to think of that'

After a week of living in Arthur's flat Arthur asked him to move in permanently and Merlin said yes the moment Arthur finished speaking, Merlin jumped into Arthur's arms and they christened every available surface that night making a lot of work for the maid but neither of them cared.

 

Arthur was happy when the last of Merlin's things were brought into the flat, Gwaine and Leon had been back and forth the whole day bringing all Merlin's clothes and personal belongings he wanted to keep, the rest they threw away as they went making it easier for Merlin who didn't want to see his old flat again

Merlin was stacking up the last of the boxes in one of the spare rooms so they were out the way and he could sort threw them in his own time, Arthur was talking with his men as they walked around his.. their flat, Merlin was to busy to listen to their conversations as he ran around piling box after box in the large room

***

Both men had a routine after a month of living together since Merlin came back from hospital, Merlin had sorted pretty much all his things out and his things mixed with Arthur's making it look and feel like home and both men loved it, Merlin's pictures joined Arthur's on the walls and they added a few new ones of themselves too

They slept together every night and woke up together nearly every morning, Arthur was always the first to leave in the morning and was sometimes gone before Merlin woke, but Merlin knew it was all part of Arthur's life style and job so he didn't 100% mind

Merlin left for work at 8.30 on the weekdays and came home by 5.30 sometimes he came in before Arthur and other times Arthur was already home, he didn't work weekends now and most weekends Arthur took Merlin out making sure they both got time together after the weekdays stole the hours away from being together 

Everything was going well for both men, Merlin regularly spoke about his day and how Gwen and Elena ect were and other times he'd just fall onto the sofa and cuddle up to Arthur without a word before they made their way to bed 

Arthur never spoke of his work even if he wanted too he kept his darkness to himself even when he wished with everything he could tell Merlin

****

Obviously the peace between them couldn't last and they found this out the hard way about 3 months living together

****

Merlin was home early from work; it was around 4.40 and he was showered and changed already after a practically dead day at the cafe, he was cleaning their bedroom whilst dinner cooked 'the maid cleaned the whole house and changed the bed but everything else was left alone in their bedroom' 

Merlin walked from the bed room to the kitchen making sure the spaghetti was cooking nicely 'it was' he hummed to himself as he stirred the food adding herbs and flavoring, he knew this was Arthur's favorite dish and he wanted to make sure it was ready for when Arthur got home, he'd left at 6 am and as far as Merlin knew he'd not been back to the flat in the day

when everything was done cooking Merlin served the food up putting it on the table ready, the bread and wine already placed on the large dining table. He was cleaning the pots and pans when the front door opened with a loud bang making him jump, he moved out the kitchen and saw Arthur storm past the door way, even though Arthur ignored him and moved towards the bedroom Merlin couldn't mistake the blood that covered Arthur's suit and exposed skin

Merlin finished up in the kitchen knowing best not to disturb Arthur till he came to Merlin himself, but after half an hour Arthur still hadn't appeared 'he hadn't heard the shower either' and the food was cold so Merlin went to look for him.

He found him in the bedroom sitting on the bed still in his bloodied suit 'there was a lot of blood Merlin noticed more clearly now' Arthur was looking straight ahead not even seeing Merlin as he slowly made his way into the room and towards the bed

"Arthur" Merlin's voice was quite as he spoke "Arthur" he repeated again but like the first time he got no response so he sat on the bed besides Arthur, he noticed Arthur flinch as he sat down which he'd never done before but Merlin carried on as if he'd not noticed

Merlin touched Arthur's hand gently and let a low gasp escape when Arthur snatched his hand away in a rough movement making Merlin hurt in a way he didn't know he could

"Art...." before he could finish Arthur swung round to face him, his eyes cold and blank as he looked at Merlin and Merlin froze where he sat because he didn't like that look at all and he now wished he'd stayed away but it was too late now

"leave me" Arthur's voice was deep and quite as he spoke, his face not giving an inch of emotion and it scared Merlin as he'd never seen Arthur like this before

"A..." again interrupted by Arthur's harsh voice

"Are you deaf and/or stupid?" it was a question that required no answer, Merlin flinched back and quickly stood his eyes filled with unshed tears as he moved away sharply from Arthur

"No need to take it out on me" He muttered to himself as he walked away but Arthur heard and was on his feet within seconds 

"What did you say" he grabbed Merlin's shoulders with both of his hands spinning him around and he yelled in Merlin's face. Merlin was scared now

"Nothing" he muttered lowly not having the nerve to voice it louder, he just wanted to leave the room and leave Arthur to calm down but he couldn't move 

"Better not be anything" Arthur didn't look or sound like Merlin's Arthur and Merlin hated seeing the man he loved act like the man so many spoke in fear about, he also hated feeling the fear those people did 

"Let me go" he tried to pull away but Arthur's grip got tighter as he did like a predator does with prey

"You need to learn your place, Merlin" the way he said his name made Merlin shudder and not in the usual good way, it was hard and evil the way Arthur said it then and Merlin just wanted to grab Kil and get out of there but Arthur's vice like grip held him in place

"Please Arthur let me go" it was a sob but he didn't care he was too scared to care "Please" he tried to raise his hand and Arthur must have taken it as a threat because he next minute Merlin was thrown into the wall behind him making the picture of him and Arthur at the park bounce from where it hung above him

"Arthur" Arthur's name left his lips in a surprised pained gasp as his back hit the wall and a sharp pain shot through his body but Arthur wasn't listening because this was Arthur Pendragon the mob boss and not Arthur who clung onto him at night filling Merlin's heart with love and comfort

"You just get in the way" Arthur's voice some how got darker if it was possible "Can't just leave alone can you" he carried on talking but the buzzing in Merlin's ears kept him from hearing the harsh words that left the blonde man's voice, his body was being shaken as Arthur spoke but Merlin's whole mind and body was in a flog like state to fully realize what was happening

 

he wasn't sure when Gwaine and Leon appeared but the next moment Arthur was being torn off of Merlin and Gwaine was in the middle speaking in a calming voice someone would use to calm a lion as it tried to launch at its prey and Leon was pulling Merlin from the room in quick hurried movements without speaking a word

Merlin didn't know what was happening, the next thing he was sat on the sofa and let the tears freely slide down his cheeks as Leon sat next to him, he was saying something but Merlin didn't hear or care at this moment of time, all he could hear was Arthur's raised voice a few loud bangs 'fists on a wall he thought to himself' and Gwaine's voice in the back ground talking to Arthur but what they were saying was a mystery 

 

"Merlin" Merlin shot out of his fog like state when Leon's raised voice woke him up "i need you to listen" his voice was hard but gentle at the same time making Merlin concentrate on him fully and ignoring the noise in the background

"I need you to come with me till he calms down okay?" it was a question that Merlin didn't have a choice but agree with so he got up from the sofa scooping up Kil on the way to the door and followed numbly behind Leon out of his home leaving a raging Arthur behind with a calm Gwaine

Leon ushered him into the usual SUV and quickly drove away from the building he had called home for the past few months, Merlin watched as the building got smaller in the mirror as he clung to Kil as the cat stuck on his lap, he didn't know where Leon was taking him but right now he didn't care as they carried on driving through the busy London streets


	23. Chapter 23

The car was silent as it moved through the city, Merlin wasn’t sure how long they’d been driving but it was getting dark out and the city lights had left his view hours prier, they were now on a busy road heading towards the country but his head couldn’t think of where they were heading? 

Kil was curled up asleep on the chair next to him and seemed quite content with being in the moving vehicle which was a surprise to Merlin because Kil didn’t like anything normally especially cars or outdoor activities 

Leon sat straight backed as he drove on not saying a word or offering an explanation to Merlin, the radio was off too so the time ticked by slowly as they drove on

 

A voice woke him with a start; he didn’t know when he fell asleep but it was pitch black outside and he could hear the distant ocean from outside the car, Leon was standing outside holding the door open and gave him a small smile which Merlin returned without thought 

“Hi” Leon’s voice was soft when he spoke and it made Merlin feel more relaxed than he felt a moment ago “We’re in Ealdor, I think this is your mums house anyway” he looked unsure as he turned back to look at the house and then back to Merlin and that’s when Merlin noticed his childhood home just outside the car

“Hmmm……yes it is” he wanted to ask so much but he knew Leon wouldn’t give any answers so he slid out from the back seat taking a still sleeping cat with him “Thanks Leon” before he stepped away from the car and towards the house, Leon looked sad when he looked at Merlin and gave a sharp nod before jumping back behind the wheel

Merlin made his way up the path towards his childhood home; he hadn’t seen his mother for years, not since moving to London any way, he heard Leon drive off as he stood in front of the front door but he didn’t look back to watch him go as he drove away instead he stood there because he didn’t know what to do? Did her knock? Or did he walk in like old times? And why was he nervous about seeing his mother again?

He decided it was best to knock because walking in might just scare his poor mother to death and he didn’t want that, he rasped his hands on the hard wood three times and stepped back, it took a few seconds before he heard feet shuffling their way towards the door from inside, then the door flung open in a true Hunith way and there she stood looking at him in such shock neither of them spoke for a while 

 

“Merlin” her voice was low like a whisper as she stood there frozen to the spot, her hand rested on her chest over her heart and he mouth was left open slightly “Merlin?” her voice was louder now and Merlin finally snapped out of it and just walked forward right into her arms ‘Oh how he’d missed her hugs’

“Mother” he spoke in to her neck as they clung to each other “Missed you” he muttered as they reluctantly pulled away from one another but their hands stayed in contact with each other, not trusting them selves to let go in case one or the other turned and walked away 

“Come in, come in” she stepped back and all but dragged him with her, it was strange being back in his old home, the years away hadn’t change it in any way; the walls looked the same and pictures covered 90% of them, it made him smile knowing nothing had changed here when back in London his life had done a true 360

They walked down the corridor and entered the kitchen ‘his mothers favourite room’ it was like being on auto as he dropped Killy down on the floor gently and got a hiss in return as the cat scurried off somewhere in the house, he took a seat at the old breakfast bar and looked as his mother moved around the kitchen

Hunith popped the kettle on the stove and in true mother style went straight for the fridge bringing out a plate full of her home made scones “Here” she put the plate in front of him and he happily picked at them as she went back to making the tea

He didn’t realise how hungry he was till he’d finished off three scones before his mother had even brought the tea pot over, she smiled at him as she placed everything around them and took a seat opposite him purring out two cups and placing one in front of her son

 

“How are you” she started with; she was looking at him strangely as she spoke but Merlin ignored her odd look as he went on to tell her about life in London ‘or Arthur free life in London’ and she smiled as he told her stories

They finished their tea and stones as he spoke and she smiled and asked questions as he told her about the Café, Gwen and his friends and he happily answered with a grin himself 

 

They were silent for a moment after he finished talking about Gwen before she pointed to his neck “What happened” her eyes squinted in what look liked anger and he didn’t know why? Her voice was hoarse and it was hard not to see the anger that was coming from her

“Huh” he placed a hand around his neck trying to figure out what she meant and then remembered Arthur holding him against the bedroom wall “ohh” he muttered looking down at his hands and tried to avoid explaining why he may have hand print bruises around his neck but Hunith wouldn’t let him just ignore her question 

“Yes ohh, now explain young man” she sounded mad; but not at him but at who ever put those marks on her baby, she reached out placing her warm hand on his “Come on Merlin, talk to me” her eyes were back to the soft blue he was used to seeing on his mum

“Long story, it doesn’t matter” he tried to give his best Merlin smile but as his mother she was immune and raised a eyebrow, he let a long sign out and opened his mouth to explain everything when a loud collection of bangs came at the front door stopping Merlin from talking


	24. Chapter 24

Merlin and Hunith sat looking at the front door from where they were in the kitchen, the bangs hadn’t stopped but no voices or yelling followed by and both of them sat in silence because maybe who ever was out there would tire and leave

Merlin was tense in his seat because he didn’t want to bring trouble to his mother’s house, he didn’t want it to be Arthur; he didn’t want his mum to witness the blonde mans cruelty 

 

Hunith stood letting her chair scrape across the tiled floor, Merlin looked back round at her and went to speak but she raised her hand making what ever was going to leave his mouth stop, she walked to the door and the hammering noise stopped obviously hearing her approach

She made sure the chain was attached before she opened the door a mere inch so she could just see outside, when she did look out she saw a man standing there, he made eye contact with her the second she looked out and his face was set in a grim and angry expression, his blonde hair was sticking up in all directions as if he’d been running his hands through it and pulling it in frustration, his suit was hidden under a large black coat but she could see some marks cover the collar by his tie but the porch light hide what the mark was

 

She spoke first with a simple ‘hello’ the man made a low cough in his throat before he spoke “Is Merlin here” his voice was deeper than she expected and his eyes seemed to have a weird glint to them

“No” she answered back quickly and sharply and went to shut the door but his hand came up making it bounce open again till the chain stopped it with a small squeak, she raised her brow at him as he looked behind her with difficulty 

“MERLIN” he yelled hand still on the door, the chain held on as his weight pushed against the door

“I’ve told you sir, he isn’t here” she had a growl to her voice but Arthur over looked it as he tried his hardest to see past her through the small gap but could only see a wall covered in photo’s 

“Arthur” a voice came from behind the man.. Hunith then saw two men standing by two cars outside her house “Come on Arthur, leave it for now” The one with longer hair said walking forward but what ever look this ‘Arthur’ gave him when he turned made him halt rather quickly and duck back towards the car

“If you don’t leave I’ll ring the police” her voice left no question that she would do just that but Arthur just scoffed at her 

 

Merlin sat in the kitchen hands over his face as he listened to Arthur’s shouting and his mothers raised but calm voice, he could hear Gwaine and Leon talking in the background but couldn’t make out anything from where he sat. Why did Arthur have to come here? And how was he going to explain this to his mother? He signed and listened again to the commotion at the door 

 

Hunith and Arthur argued some more before Merlin heard the click of the front door and one set of feet shuffling back to the kitchen, his mother appeared and sat back down, she had a worried look on her face as she sat down, Arthur was still hammering on the door but they ignored him

“Speak” her voice growing louder as she spoke and Merlin ducked his head trying to hide the look his face held because he didn’t know how or where to start

 

But again before he could speak there was a large crash from the front door as it hit the wall and Arthur stormed into the house followed by two other men.

Hunith jumped up and her chair tipped over in the rush and crashed to the ground “OUT” she yelled as Arthur came into the kitchen and stopped dead when he saw Merlin sitting there, his stormy look cleared for a moment before setting back in an evil twist of facial expressions 

“Arthur” Merlin’s voice croaked as he said his name, he looked the same as in the bed room earlier and Merlin just wanted that look to leave and for his Arthur to come back but he had no chance of that happening when Arthur was in this mood!

Arthur’s eyes were half closed but Merlin knew they were fully fixed on him, Merlin wished he could just run but where would he go? 

“Arthur please” he put his hand out; he wasn’t sure if he was reaching for Arthur or trying to keep him at arms reach? 

“You left?” his voice was deeper than Merlin had ever heard and his look was murderous 

“Yeah….” Merlin looked down and then back up trying to find a way to get round Arthur and get out of the room and he knew Arthur knew what he was up to because his eye twitched and Merlin could see his hands were forming fists as he stood like a statue in the only doorway in and out of the kitchen 

“Why?” he took a slow step forward like a hunter hunting his prey and Merlin let a low moan out because he was more scared of Arthur now than when he was pinned in the bedroom

“Merlin” That was his mothers voice and he wanted so badly to turn and tell her everything was okay but he heard the worry in her voice and how could he tell her it was okay when it obviously wasn’t 

“Me and Arthur are going to talk” he got out the chair slowly and Arthur flinched as if Merlin was going to run away, how could he when he blocked the only exit? 

 

“Lets go into the living room” he pointed behind Arthur and luckily Arthur gave a nod and stepped backwards not taking his eyes off Merlin and it made Merlin shiver  
but he didn’t stop even when his knees felt weak and all he wanted was to sit and let this sort itself out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So idea's do you want more angry Arthur or breaks down because well he see's Merlin's face and apologies Arthur?


	25. Chapter 25

Merlin felt sick standing in this room with Arthur, he shouldn’t feel this way standing in a room with the man he loved ‘or thought he loved’ he walked over and stood by the fire and watched as the flames licked at the wood letting off sounds of crackles and roars

“Merlin” Arthur’s voice was shallow as he spoke, he didn’t sound like the Arthur he’d lived with for months, the man who rescued him from the Catha and whispered sweet nothings in his ear at night whilst they lay tangled in each others limbs. No this man wasn’t his Arthur at all, this man was deadly to be around and made him feel afraid and sad

“Arthur” he whispered the name that meant so much too him “why?” he turned slowly ignoring the tears that slid down his cheeks “why are you hurting me? What did I do?” the last words came out as a sob and he couldn’t look at Arthur now because the man could see how weak he was, how weak he felt 

“You make me weak” it came out loud and clear as if it’s a normal thing to say “love makes me weak, you” pause “make me weak” his eyes were dark and empty when Merlin’s head shot up in shock to look at him

Shaking his head Merlin collapsed on the arm chair next to the fire, Arthur stayed glued to the spot by the door

“If I make you” … “weak” it was hard to say the last word “then why come here?” he looked at Arthur with a little anger but still his eyes must have just held fear and sadness “I left” he shrugged “so why come” he rung his hands together trying to feel something yet he was numb all over 

“I don’t know, you were there one moment and gone the next” Arthur actually shrugged at Merlin like this was a normal conversation that wasn’t breaking Merlin into a million pieces and Merlin sat there in silence for a long time before the word left his lips

“Leave” Merlin’s voice rose a little “Just go away Arthur, please” he knew he was begging but his heart hurt and he wanted to be left alone “I’ll get someone to collect my things, but please just go” He turned his back to Arthur as best he could in a chair 

 

“I do love you” Arthur didn’t seem to get or see the damage he was doing to Merlin, what a mess he was causing in the young brunettes head and heart; this hurt more than the bruises or the fear of what happened, this hurt in a way that words can’t describe and right now Merlin would rather be back in the hands of his kidnappers because at least then he had hope, at least then he had the old Arthur who cared and fort for him and made him feel safe and loved…

Silence fell over the two men again, then something in Merlin snapped and he stood quickly pointing to the door

“Get….Out” Merlin hissed and before Arthur could reply the door barged open revealing Hunith

“You heard him…. OUT” she pointed to the broken front door “and I mean this instant” she hissed her demand and stormed over to Arthur a mere inch from his face but Arthur didn’t do anything to her he actually stepped away from her

Gwaine and Leon came in to the room and Leon put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder but all he got in return was a shunt from Arthur and his hand fell away, Arthur then stormed from the house nearly leaving a puff of dust behind him

Arthur took the black BMW and drove away quickly his tires screaming on the tarmac as he took off at high speed, Gwaine and Leon followed slowly behind and got into the SUV they gave a sad look to each other before they drove off at a more respected speed and headed in the same direction that Arthur had left in 

 

Merlin sat there in silence as tears fell without force, Hunith looked at her son and signed; She left him to his own mind for a while whilst she put another pot on to boil

Once the tea was finished she moved into the living room with a tray and set it down between them as she took the other single chair, patting her sons knee in sympathy she handing over a cup and Merlin took it on auto with a shaky hand giving her a small thanks 

“Now, now dear you’ll be okay” she smiled gently at her son as she squeezed his knee “It doesn’t feel like it but it’ll get better” she had so much she wanted to know and say but now wasn’t the time so she pulled her hand away and drank from her own cup in silence 

 

Merlin sipped the hot beverage as he watched the fire like he was transfixed on the orange and yellow flames, he heard his mothers voice but not her words; His life had come to a crashing halt and he didn’t know what to do or where to go? He was just happy that he was already with his mother because if he was still in London he didn’t know what he’d be doing right now

 

Kil came prancing into the room some time later letting a loud meow out before jumping up onto his masters knee and settled there curling into a ball, he purred gently and Merlin’s hand came down on his fur and stroked the old cat 

 

Merlin and Hunith sat in silence for the rest of the night before she forced him upstairs to bed, he went willingly though because he had no fight left, he collapsed onto his old mattress; it was harder and smaller that Arthur’s and he missed the warmth the blonde gave off when they climbed into bed together, instead he lay alone and cold in a old hard bumpy mattress in a room that felt foreign to him 

 

He didn’t fall asleep till the sun began to light the sky in pale pinks, yellows and blues that shone through his old blue curtains


	26. Chapter 26

A week passed since Arthur’s outburst and Hunith had lucky had the help from her neighbour Gaius in fixing the front door making it good as new again

Merlin hadn’t been in contact with anyone from London since he left he’d only sent one text to Gwen telling her he had to return home due to person reasons and wasn’t sure if or when he’d return so not to hold onto his job in case he never came back, he’d then turned his phone off and thrown it somewhere in the bedroom, he hadn’t found it or turned it on to see if he had any messages since

Hunith was angry but most of all her typical mothering self, she knew Merlin needed her sympathetic side right now and not the questioning mother type she could be when she was thing angry, so she sat with Merlin through the nights he sat up crying himself to sleep hugging him tightly and rubbing his back the way he always like it when he was a child, she got him all his favourite foods but he struggled to eat or drink or do just about anything other than mop around in his old bedroom so she left him to it knowing how bad a broken heart can be

He’d still hadn’t gotten used to his old bed; it seemed so small compared to not just Arthur’s luxurious one but his old one from the old flat that was twice the size of this old bumpy thing

He was in such a bad state the past week that he hadn’t even gone to see Gaius who when growing up was like a father to him, didn’t even come down from the bedroom when the old man was over fixing the front door

 

Back in London Arthur was sitting alone in the empty cold flat, he was on his fifth whiskey and his head was spinning from the effects of too much alcohol in a short time. 

A whole week had passed since he did the unthinkable and hurt the one person he cared for in his life, he still cant get his head around the fact that he let his father manipulate him in such a way that he took it out on Merlin, Merlin who was kind and gentle and all round loving to all 

His limp head sat in one palm and his other hand held his half empty glass; an empty bottle of Jim Beam’s sat at his feet abandoned.

He’d never felt so low or destructive in his whole life; he didn’t even feel like this after his first kill when he was just 15

He could see some of Merlin’s things sitting around the living room within eye shot and it made a deep longing and regret fizz up in the pit of his stomach the flat felt so cold and empty the past week, he couldn’t forgive himself for what he did to Merlin and he knew that his two closest friends and most trusted knights didn’t forgive him either and it was all because of Uther. Of all people his Father made him lash out at the one person that made his pathetic existence bearable and worth living.

 

*FLASH BACK – one week ago*

“Arthur” his fathers distinctive voice echoed through the old manor house, Arthur signed from the other room, he quickly got up and walked into the drawing room where his father sat straight backed in his chair nursing a scotch not wanting to keep the man and make him even more unbearable 

“Yes father” his voice showing no emotion and his face was just as blank as he looked at his old man sitting there, loathing was the only thing he could think and feel as he looked at the man yet he didn’t let it show in the way he looked and spoke, he kept the blank emotionless man his father made him into 

“We have an issue and you need to sort it” Uther didn’t care to look at his son, the light making Arthur’s frame into a silhouette as he stood in the doorway “Cenred’s men are getting active again even thought their leader is long dead” Uther showed as much emotion as Arthur as he spoke, he looked away from his son to a piece of paper that lay in his lap ‘Arthur hadn’t noticed it till then’ “Here” Uther picked the paper up and thrust it into the air making a sharp rustling noise fill the room “all the information you need and don’t delay” Arthur walked forward and took the paper sharply from his fathers fingers, he knew his father had nothing else to say after a short moment in silence as he looked over the paper quickly it was an open and clear dismissal so he walked away and back towards the door he had stood in a moment ago

 

“Oh and Arthur” his fathers voice came from behind him making Arthur stop abruptly but not turning around to face Uther “I heard something about a flat mate?” Arthur swung around then facing his father again “Who is she?” his father raised a eyebrow and Arthur knew he couldn’t get out of explaining everything 

**Ten minutes later**

Arthur stood there looking at the floor flexing his fingers as Uther yelled at him, the whiskey glass lay shattered in pieces near the fire place from where Uther had thrown it in anger, Arthur couldn’t hear the words that Uther yelled ‘well he could but he chose to ignore them, not wanting to hear the words that his father said about the love of his life’ 

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING” Uther bellowed lashing out and knocking the small side table over making it clatter into the floor but Arthur didn’t even flinch he was far to used to his fathers outrage to be spooked by it now 

“Yes of course Father” Arthur looked deadly as he looked at the man he called father, but Uther just turned his back on Arthur ignoring the look his son was sending him

“Get rid of that filthy excuse of a human, I will not have people talking about my son and his…. His little boy slut” Arthur glared at Uther’s back at the last word his father said

“He is NOT..” but his speech was cut short by Uther’s angry gravely voice, the way he spoke about Merlin was like a snake spitting venom 

“Get rid of that boy and this weird fixation on him” Uther hissed the words ”or I will get rid of him myself personally and you know what I mean by that Arthur” the look Arthur saw cross his fathers face was terrifying 

Arthur stood there for a moment not wanting to believe what his father had just said but he knew he’d keep his word but he couldn’t let go of Merlin, he was to selfish to let go of the brunette man

 

“NO” he yelled back slamming his fist into the nearest object which was a wall making his hand scream when it came back from the impact 

“Excuse me” Uther spun around “you know I don’t make threats Arthur, I make promises and I always keep them” he snarled at Arthur 

“You will not touch him” Arthur snarled back just as aggressively taking an imposing step forward but his father didn’t step back but for a moment ‘look away and you’d miss it’ Uther looked shocked and taken back but he covered it as quickly as it had arrived

“Do not test me” his eyes held so much hatred as he looked at his son “I will not have a cock sucker as a son and I WILL take care of that little slut you ha……” Uther’s speech was cut short by a loud bang that echoed through the whole manor making all the workers jump

Arthur stood there and watched as his father crumpled to the ground the look of betrayal clear in the mans eyes; it was only when Uther hit the floor that he saw he was standing over his dead body with his pistol in his hand

He lowered his hand to his side automatically putting the gun on safety before placing it back into his holster that lay secure on his hip

It was only when the shock of seeing his fathers body lying there that he stepped back and noticed his suit covered in large stains and small speckles of blood, it seemed to have splattered everywhere making his top half near enough red from his fathers cooling blood

 

George his father’s personal assistance came running into the room and Arthur heard him gasp; Arthur turned slowly to face the weird man who stood rigid in the door way

“Get.Out” Arthur spoke the two words slowly and stretched out the sentence but it worked because the next thing George was gone leaving the room empty agian apart from himself and his fathers dead body” 

 

 

Arthur can then remember ringing Leon and Gwaine and they helped him with the body making it look like a member of a rival gang had broken in and shot his father dead

Then the next thing he was at home and Merlin was pinned to the wall and Leon and Gwaine were dragging him off Merlin, Leon punched him in the stomach hard making him crumple to the ground with a loud shocked gasp as Gwaine rushed a startled and shaken Merlin away.

After that everything was black 

**End of flashback**


	27. Chapter 27

The weeks past in a blur; days turned to weeks and weeks turned into months and soon winter was in the air again making everything cold and crisp, Merlin hadn’t left Ealdor or spoken to or about Arthur since the night of the incident and all his things were still with Arthur, he got in regular contact with Gwen and Elena again and they text almost constantly every day, he really missed his two friends and the café but he wasn’t ready to return to the big city yet ‘he didn’t know if he ever would be?’

 

Hunith was decorating the house like she did when he was a child; tinsel and baubles hung from every available place and poor Gaius was lugging a massive six inch Christmas tree into the living room, leaving a trail of pine needles in his wake 

Hunith dragged in the old boxes of decorations she usually stored in the spare room and Merlin helped her decorate the large green tree that made the small house smell of Christmas when it mixed with the smell of her baking and the mulled wine that simmered on the stove

 

Once the tree was finished both mother and son stepped back to look at their hard work and both smiled at the end result, all the baubles were old but each had a story and most were made by Merlin when he was a child so to Hunith they were priceless and perfect even twenty plus years after they’d first been made

 

The sky grew dark sooner outside making the days seems short and the nights everlasting, Merlin didn’t mind though as he sat by the open fire reading an old novel he always loved when he was growing up

Hunith came in with her famous hot chocolate and Merlin actually made grabby hands when he looked from the book to see her standing there with a large mug with cream and marshmallows sliding down the side

He made a contented sign after the first sip and settled deeper into the arm chair, he closed the book and relaxed into the cosy feeling of being back home with his mother

 

 

Arthur sat in his living room; the knights and Morgana were over moving around his apartment but to him it was all a blurred, he missed Merlin and these past months without him were causing him more pain than he thought possible

He didn’t mourn his father’s death and nor did Morgana, she didn’t even seem surprised when Leon turned up at her flat to tell her the day the man had died, she knew the truth behind his death but she never blamed or treated Arthur differently; neither of Uther’s children shed a tear for the man they once called father not even at his quick and quite funeral 

“Come on Arthur help us” Morgana broke through his thoughts of Uther and Merlin and he glanced up to see her and Leon hanging tinsel around his apartment

“What are you doing?” he got up from the couch and made his way over to them 

“Decorating idiot” Morgana sassed back like usual and Arthur just rolled his eyes

“Why?” he looked around the flat trying not to flinch as his eyes landed on something of Merlin’s, he couldn’t bring himself to take anything down or box things up because he didn’t want to make it final that Merlin was gone.

He looked around and saw a tree around 5 foot standing by the balcony door’s it was wrapped in white lights and silver tinsel with the odd blue and silver bauble or decoration ‘it looked nice, not that he’d ever say such a thing out loud’

“Because” she looked at him as if he was dumb “your place is the biggest so me and the knights will come here for Christmas dinner” she held a hand up when his mouth shot open and halted any words that threatened to leave it “I will cook” she smiled her scary Morgana smile “and you will sit and enjoy the day” she walked away before he could protest, Leon just smirked and shrugged his shoulders at the look Arthur sent him before he followed Morgana to the kitchen to help her with god knows what 

 

Arthur looked around his apartment and even though Morgana had done a fantastic job decorating it it still missed something and he knew exactly what that something was, but nothing could make him return to Arthur.

Arthur signed and left his men and Morgana to it and went to his room, he locked the bedroom door before he collapsed on to the unmade bed, he pushed his head into the pillow but Merlin’s smell was long gone 

He fell asleep fully dressed and didn’t hear when Morgana and the knights left his apartment


	28. Chapter 28

It was Christmas day and Merlin was up and dressed in his Christmas jumper by 7am, Hunith had been up an hour at least already because the house smelt of mulled wine and home made Christmas scones, he rushed into the kitchen and saw the food stacked on every available counter, there was enough to feed half of Britain plus some

“Morning Mum, Merry Christmas” he walked over and kissed her on the cheek before moving back

“Merry Christmas, love” she kissed him back and gave her son a large hug “go sit down and I’ll bring over breakfast” she smiled at him before turning to resume cooking, Merlin sat down at the table that was already laid out in Christmas style cutlery, his mother came over not a minute later with a huge breakfast that smelt as good as it looked

Merlin licked his lips when he saw his favourite Christmas breakfast in front of him ‘cinnamon pancakes with honey and whip cream with added chocolate chips hidden away under the cream’ 

 

Gaius came around after breakfast and settled in the living room with Hunith and Merlin, they all gave a gift to each other and they laughed as the paper was shredded and thrown around the room

(Hunith got a lovely yellow house plant from Gaius and a Fairy ornament from Merlin to join her large collection in her room)

(Gaius received a huge stack of old edition books from both Merlin and Hunith, everything from garden herbs to crystals and he was thrilled with them all)

(Merlin got a personally made ornament of Kilgharrah from Gaius which he loved and all but threw himself at the old man in happiness and his mother had gotten him loads of new clothes and a new winter jacket) 

*Kilgharrah was happily eating through his tuna and salmon breakfast in the kitchen* 

 

Once the gift giving was over they cleaned up and put their gifts away for a while and sat around together telling stories and played a few games before dinner was ready and they ate far to much but non of them could complain about it because well it was Christmas and what was Christmas without a food coma 

All in all it was a good day and Merlin enjoyed himself, he just wished he could fill the hole that took over a large proportion of his chest but he knew only Arthur could fill that place and make it feel right again

Once Gaius had gone home and his mother had gone to bed Merlin sat on the back porch with a blanket wrapped around his thin frame and looked up at the clear sky, the moon was extra bright tonight and it illuminated the dark sky making it seem more navy than black

He stared at the moon for a long time before he whispered ‘Merry Christmas Arthur’ to himself, he soon went to bed with a heavy heart 

 

Arthur’s Christmas day was different; Morgana and his closest friends/knights came over so his apartment was busy and everyone was laughing and joking

Morgana was busy in the kitchen, popping out now and then to take part in the games Leon, Lance, Gwaine, Elyan and Percy were involved in before she’d scurry away back to the kitchen, he ignored the crashes and creative swearing that drifted from the kitchen to busy trying to keep up with the game he was involved in now

Gifts weren’t something they did so everyone just brought something for the dinner and called it quits but it saved just one of them ‘aka Arthur’ from buying it all because he didn’t know what to buy for Christmas dinner ‘Gwaine because he was Gwaine supplied the alcohol and he brought enough for the British Navy’

 

Three card games and £125 less later Arthur was starting to lighten up, he cracked a few smiles when he won some ££ but it left soon enough when Gwaine took the cash again laughing at the annoyed look Arthur got when he lost 

But by the time dinner was ready and Morgana had set it out he was in a better and more festive mood, they all huddled around the round dinner table and tucked into the feast Morgana had perfected like she did with everything

 

When dinner was over and everyone was lounged around the living room Arthur felt happy, truly happy for the first time in months as he looked around at everyone

Leon was asleep stretch over half of the sofa with Morgana half on top of him snoring gently ‘surprise surprise’ 

Gwaine was under the dining table mumbling in his sleep as he clung onto a half empty bottle of Jack ‘Arthur didn’t want to know how he got under there’ 

Percy was the other end of the sofa and snoring like the giants from Jack in the beanstalk ‘yes Arthur had read it.. Shut up’ 

Lance was asleep with his head in arms on the dining table ‘was it him mumbling? ….. No it was Gwaine’ 

Elyan was…..?? Where was Elyan? Arthur walked through the apartment and found Elyan in the shower ‘shower off’ Elyan was sitting in the shower with his head lulled to one side with his mouth wide open snoring loudly ‘the tiles not helping with the loud noise coming from the man in the shower’ 

Arthur left him there because he didn’t want to deal with it right now and it made a good photo so why move him, Arthur snapped a photo on his phone and went back to the living room doing the same to all the others because black mail material was hard to come about now a days 

Arthur was the only one that made it to an actual bed, he collapsed on the bed ‘this time dressed accordingly’ and clung onto the duvet that seemed to be extra comfy tonight after so much food, he lay there for a while not able to fall asleep though his mind with a certain someone who wouldn’t for a moment leave his mind

His curtains were open so he looked out; looking at the faint stars in the clear sky before moving to the moon that shone brightly into his room, he lay there thinking of Merlin as the moon lit up the night sky ‘he hoped he had a good day’ 

“I miss you Merlin” he muttered to himself before he turned away and sleep finally caught up with him and he let himself sink into the darkness


	29. Chapter 29

> **NEW YEAR**
> 
> _6 months had gone by since Merlin and Arthur had last seen each other, 6 months since Uther had been shot dead and Arthur had taken it out on the person he did it for to protect him and keep him safe, both men were miserable and hurting even after all this time._

**_*****_ **

_"Arthur come on we need to go"_ Leon's voice was carried from the lift to where Arthur was standing in the apartment grabbing the things he needed 

 _"Yeah, yeah i'm coming"_ his voice was gruff as if it was unwelcome to leave his lips

 _"Well hurry up then"_ Leon was the only one that could talk to Arthur like that, anyone else would have had a bullet between their eyes and they knew it

> _Arthur in the time since Merlin had left had gotten darker and more closed off, after Christmas he shut himself away from everyone including Morgana, he was only around the men when a job needed doing and his face was needed to scare the people into co-operating with them getting what ever they needed._

Leon finally got Arthur in the SUV and he started to drive through the dark city; Arthur was to busy to notice that Gwaine, Percy, Lance and Elyan were behind in the BMW

 

 

 _"Where are you taking me Leon? we seemed to have been driving for ages"_ Arthur looked up from his phone 

 _"East London"_ Leon looked at the road as the drove on not turning when he explained the activity that was popping up in the east side of the city, Arthur hummed along listening to Leon as he explained this new gang that had popped up rather unexpectedly and suddenly 

_"how many are in the group?"_ he started typing on his phone again as he spoke, typing in the name of this so called ' _gang_ _'_  

_"some say 25, others say more"_ Leon turned for a split second to look at Arthur _"me and Gwaine have been watching them and we've only seen 10 so it might be a hoax to try to make them look bigger and sound better"_ he shrugged his shoulders as if he was talking to himself and Arthur scoffed  _'as if he'd be worried even if they turned up in their hundred's he'd kill them all off'_

 _"Okay"_ Arthur said quickly and then didn't talk after that riding along in silence as he researched as much as possible

 

 _"Here boss"_ _Arthur knew when they arrived to a job because all his knights including his best and closest friend Leon called him boss_

 _"Right"_ he pocketed his phone in his suit trousers and got out the SUV, he looked behind the car and noticed the BMW parking behind with Gwaine, Leon, Elyan and Lance in, they quickly joined him and they walked toward a shady looking building he didn't ask who or when they arrived 

 

********

Half an hour and 14 dead bodies late Arthur and his Knights walked out of the building, they scoped around looking for clues that there may be more to this ~~or that~~ old gang but nothing was found 

 _"Well done guys"_ he clapped each of his men on the shoulder _"another job done and another gang trying to take **MY** city gone"_ it didn't go unnoticed the way his voice raised slightly at the _'my'_ but no one said anything because everyone knew London was Arthur Pendragons 

 

> _Arthur quickly flicked a match and threw it at the back door and flames grew within seconds, the petrol they'd thrown down moments ago helped to rid of any evidence left behind by them_
> 
>  

_"right lets go home"_ Arthur turned to get back into the car not bothered to stay whilst the flames grew higher because soon they would grow attention, all the knights hopped into the two cars and they pulled away leaving the burning building behind 

 

*********

>  
> 
> _Merlin was back in London now he had a new flat on the East side and he'd started working at a theater nearby at night and he loved it, he didn't go back to Gwen's because he knew he'd bump into Arthur or a knight at some stage and he needed to avoid that at all costs, he'd started fresh with new items and a new life. Kilgharrah was still with him, it was the only original thing he kept from his old life in London._
> 
>  

Merlin was walking back from work the sun raising over the waking city, its rays catching the buildings making the city look gold for a short moment, he had his ear phones in and was ignoring the other people who were either getting back from late shifts or just leaving, he just kept walking forward knowing he was close to home and close to being able to sleep which helped his legs move faster so he could get there sooner 

It was only when he smelt smoke and he looked up that he saw flames flicking out of a window, it was the abandoned building near his flat; in the time he'd lived their he'd thought it was abandoned as he never saw anyone there and the windows were broken and the paint chipped on the outside, but right now flames licked at it making it crumple and break away in places, he could hear sirens coming from a distance as he pulled his head phones out

He was shocked for a moment and just stood there looking at the building as the flames grew and got stronger, he must have stood there a minutes before a car skidded to a halt besides him making him spin around at the sound

 

*********

**_"STOP THE CAR"_  **Arthur yelled making Leon jump and he put his foot on the break making the car skid to an abrupt holt  

 _"Arthur are you okay"_ Leon questioned in a shocked and worried voice but it was ignored as Arthur was to busy looking outside the car, Arthur then got out the car quickly leaving a confused and curious Leon behind  ~~~~

> _behind them Gwaine had just avoided hitting them when they skidded to a stop suddenly_

 

*********

Merlin watched in silence as someone all but fell out the car that had stopped quickly besides him, it was only when the man righted himself that he recognized him, both men stood frozen to the spot looking at each other before they both spoke at the same time 

 

> _**"Arthur"** _
> 
> _**"Merlin"** _

 

 

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

Both men stood in silence for a long while just looking at each other; taking in every detail that time had some how without permission erased from their minds, other pedestrians had gathered to watch the burning building but neither Arthur or Merlin noticed, they must look odd to the others people around them as they just stood their being creepy

 _"Boss"_ Leon's voice came through his foggy brain making Arthur snap back to present, Merlin shortly after and it didn't go unnoticed when he stuck his head as if trying to clear out images or memories as he too was forced back to the present  _"i don't mean to disturb this"_ he pointed between them both  _"but the police are coming and we need to move"_ Leon looked apologetically to Merlin before he walked back to the drivers side and got in leaving the two men to stare at each other again 

 

 _"Right"_ Merlin let a small cough out rolling on the balls of his feet  _"i best be off"_  he pointed behind him before he looked at Arthur through his dark lashed before he turned away, he took a step and turned round  _"It was good to see you Arthur"_ A small smile graced his face and he started to walk away ignoring the hustle and bustle around him

 

It took a moment but Arthur found his voice _"Wait Merlin, Please just....."_ just what? Arthur thought to himself _"_ _Can we talk?"_ he raised his own eyebrow at the question, why would Merlin speak to him, but he was shocked when a small yes filled his brain, he looked back at Merlin who was fully facing him now  _"Excuse me?"_ he had to ask again, he needed to be sure before he allowed his heart and brain to do somersaults 

 _"I said yes"_ Merlin was still looking through his lashes and it drove Arthur wild ' _oh how he'd missed him'_

 

Merlin got into the back seat of the SUV; he gave Leon a smile as he settled back into the leather seats, Arthur couldn't stop looking at him and he knew he was being a creep but after 6 months Merlin was here! _what did it mean?_   he didn't know but he had a chance to talk to Merlin and he wasn't about to screw it up

 

********

> _The drive seemed to take longer going back, Arthur's body was a mass of nervous energy and Merlin looked the same as his knee jittered up and down on the journey back to the apartment._
> 
> _Merlin was beyond nervous and he thought that at any minute his heart may give out because it was hammering against his chest in hurried beats._
> 
>  

They finally reached the building that Merlin had once called home, he slipped out the car and walked to Arthur's side and they walked in silence through the lobby, the lift ride was awkward and silent; the only noise was the light ding as it announced their arrival

Arthur stepped out the lift straight away but Merlin stood there for a moment before he gathered the courage to take the step forward out of the small metal box and into the brightly light familiar apartment.

 

> _The apartment was the same as the day he'd fled; the walls the same colour and the marble floor sparkled as it did 6 months prier, Merlin noticed the pictures still hung on the wall, he stopped walking when he saw his favorite one hanging their; it was a simple selfie photo of the pair 'Arthur was leaning his head on Merlin's shoulder smiling his contagious smile as Merlin lent into him kissing his cheek'  it was taken in the apartment on the white sofa and Merlin had loved it from the moment he saw it on the screen; he loved it so much that he'd had it printed and framed the next day when he went to town_

 

 _"Merlin?"_ Arthur's voice made him look away from the photo _"you alright?"_ he looked worried as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen

 _"m'fine"_ Merlin muttered and looked back at the framed photo before he walked further into the apartment, he ignored Arthur's gaze that followed him as he moved around the living room _"You didn't take anything down?' 'Merlin was shocked to see everything still either on the shelves or like his old blue quilt that lay over the back of the sofa'_ he looked at Arthur and he gave a shy smile

 _"Couldn't take anything down"_ he shrugged before he disappeared into the kitchen, Merlin didn't follow him he was to busy looking at his things that now seemed so unfamiliar to him

> _Merlin ran his fingers over the quilt laying on the back of the sofa before he took a seat, the softness of the material bringing back memories of when he and Arthur would wrap themselves in it in the dead of night not watching the program on the TV as they were to busy talking about their day as they clung to one another_

_"Here"_ the voice brought Merlin back to the present and he noticed Arthur there with a mug _'the batman one that he favored'_

 _"You remembered"_ he let a shy smile appear and got a small smile back but no answer from Arthur

They sat in silence for a while both just sipping at their tea before Arthur broke the silence

 _"We need to talk"_ he looked at his tea as he said it and Merlin wasn't sure if he was trying to ignore what had happened or if he was worried about his reaction? Merlin wanted so badly to reach out and touch him but he couldn't _'not yet anyway'_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its short its like 2am and i have work at 8am :/ so enjoy this small installment and i will update as soon as possible!!
> 
> AKA i'm British so that's why tea appears in the boys hands when ever something bad happens or they talk.. sorry about that!!


	31. Chapter 31

> _Arthur explained everything to Merlin as they sat there; he didn't leave a single detail out as he explained his fathers actions that day, he explained how he pulled the trigger but couldn't remember grabbing his gun from the holster, how he watched his father crumple to the ground as the echo of a gun shot ran through the house and through his head in a hazy under water effect, how even in that moment he didn't feel a damn thing for the dead man that lay at his feet, how even now it didn't have an effect on him!_
> 
> _He explained about covering his fathers death up by making it out to be a rival gangs doing, smashing the window and creating fake evidence that the police believed, he explained how Leon and Gwaine had helped him that afternoon, how Leon had done the job he couldn't and tell Morgana_
> 
> _silence fell over them as he finished telling Merlin about the funeral and how Morgana or himself mourned the loss of him more than the loss of a man they had called father but saw as just a man who shared the same blood and family name_
> 
> _Merlin was shocked and in a way horrified that Arthur had killed his father, shocked that Morgana wasn't upset about it and how they continued on like it hadn't happened. so many emotions fell over Merlin in that moment_
> 
> * * *

_"Why did you attack me then?"_ Merlin was confused  _"if you killed your own father to stop him from hurting me, why did you hurt me yourself?"_ he looked so confused and hurt as he looked at Arthur and it broke Arthur's heart

 _"Because i'm a fool"_ he let out a chocked laugh  _"I always hurt the things i love, Uther was right about me when he called me a failure" A_ rthur looked away from Merlin then and looked at his hands because he couldn't deal with the look the brunette was sending his way _'he could feel his skin tingling as Merlin looked at him'_

 _"Your...."_ But Merlin stopped what ever he was about to say and reached out to Arthur and Arthur saw how his hand hovered over his as if he was battling with himself about what he should do, Arthur made it up for him and as quick as he could he reached out and grabbed Merlin's hand, he felt Merlin tense but he spoke out before Merlin could pull away

 _"I'm so, so sorry"_ he gripped Merlin's hand tightly scared that if he let go he'd lose him again ~~_'not that he had Merlin_ back'~~ But then he felt Merlin hold back gripping his hand back just as hard

 _"God i want to hate you"_  Merlin looked dead into Arthur's eyes then and the raw emotion Arthur saw broke his heart again making him feel worse than he had not three seconds ago, because he'd caused this and he hated himself for it

"I  _want to hate you for hurting me, not just physically because those bruises healed"_ Merlin signed  _"I want to hate you for the damage you caused in my heart, the hours i cried myself to sleep, the hours i spent talking to you even though you weren't there"_ Arthur could see the tears sliding down Merlin's cheek, he reached his free hand out and wiped it away content in his action when he felt Merlin lean into his touch 

 _"I want to hate you for making me feel so lonely and scared, making me feel confused and betrayed"_ Merlin let go of Arthur's hand and it made Arthur's heart stop but Merlin just placed his head in his hands for a second before rubbing his eyes, he returned his hand to Arthur's again and carried on talking making Arthur's heart ease slightly but the hurried beats still thumped against his rib cage 

 _"You made me feel so worthless when you came to Ealdor, the words you said to me crushed me in ways i didn't think possible because you made me feel like i meant nothing to you, my mother was so angry because of how you left me, so angry on how broken i was because of you"  ' ~~ouch that stung'~~  _Merlin laughed startling Arthur  _"She's also beyond pissed at you for breaking her door"_ And Arthur surprised himself when a small laugh left his lips 

 _"No matter how many times i say sorry i will never truly be able to say it enough to heal the damaged i did to you"_ Arthur didn't know what to say after hearing Merlin's words, he felt like he'd been beaten to the ground and he was dying, he might as well be dying because if he was Merlin he wouldn't forgive him for the things he'd put him through in a single day, how that single day had carried on for days, week and months making Merlin feel the way he had or did, he wasn't sure if Merlin still felt the way he did six months ago

Merlin's lipped thinned out as Arthur spoke _"God i loved you, i loved you so much that it hurt more than it should have when you said the things you did, i never thought that i'd ever feel the way you made me feel because i didn't think such pain existed. But what hurt more was the fact you took your anger out on me..."_ Merlin's grip loosened and Arthur heart snapped into a million pieces

Arthur's head then kept replaying Merlin's words  _' Loved.. not love'_ he'd lost him and he didn't blame Merlin for letting go of the thing they had before his foolish actions had cost Arthur the one thing that made life worth living, the one right choice he'd made in his life

* * *

Arthur wasn't sure how much time passed but when Merlin finished talking he squeezed Arthur's hand for a moment more before letting go and stood up from his spot on the couch leaving cold air to hit Arthur's side  _"I need to get back"_ Merlin looked out the balcony window and then to his watch and that's when Arthur noticed how dark it was outside  _"Kilgharrah will need feeding and i have work in a few hours"_

> _reluctantly Arthur let Merlin leave; watched Merlin make his way to the lift, watched the doors close and Merlin disappeared behind the metal doors, he stood there for a while just looking at the doors that had taken Merlin away again_
> 
> _He went straight to bed once he'd gotten his head together and moved away from the lift, when he was under the duvet he got a text from Leon saying that Merlin was home and gave him Merlin's address 'Merlin told me to give you this'_
> 
> _Gwaine texted him a moment later 'Don't screw it up this time, i don't care what you'll do to me when you've read this boss but Merlin is a nice lad, if you're going to hurt him again then let him go, but if you're going to be the man that us Knights know you are then get off your ass and fight for him, fight and get him back...'_
> 
>  
> 
> _Arthur couldn't be angry at Gwaine for that text because he knew he was right, he wanted Merlin back with every fiber of his being but would he hurt him again? would Leon and Gwaine be there if a next time happened? was it worth the risk? these questions circled around his brain and Arthur found it very hard to find sleep that night, he was thinking about his options all night till the sun began to rise and the noise of London started to make itself know again below_
> 
>  
> 
> * * *
> 
> _Leon dropped Merlin off outside his flat 'they both noticed that the building just down the road was now just a burnt out shell but neither of them said a thing about it' he got out the car giving Leon a smile and walked towards the large brick building in front of them,_ _he stopped suddenly and turned back to the SUV that was about to drive away "WAIT" he shouted and Leon must have heard because he stayed there and watched Merlin make his way back to the car, Merlin walked to the window and told Leon his address "give that to Arthur" he gave one last smile and disappeared into the building, Leon smiled and drove away_
> 
> _When Merlin shut his door behind him he lent against the hard wooden surface 'had he really just done that? was it a mistake? should he just let go and move on and tell Arthur to also move on?' but some how just the sheer thought of telling Arthur to move on made his heart hammer harder against his chest, he shuck his head and quickly  fed Kilgharrah and himself before getting ready and leaving for work_


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to anyone who celebrates the holiday 
> 
> I've ended it here because i think its the right time to end it, i hope you agree!  
> I know its super short but i didn't really have anything else to add, but i might add a epilogue before the new year! 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this and leaving Kudo's/comments ect they have made me smile every time 
> 
> <3

> Merlin was standing outside Arthur's door; he didn't know why he was here, when he got there or why he was struggling to knock on the white door in front of him but he couldn't get his brain to process anything right now. He wasn't sure how long he stood there but by the ache in his feet it had been a while, he forced his hand down onto the door making 3 loud bangs that seemed to echo louder than usual, it seemed like hours passed before the door was opened and Arthur stood their with a surprised look on his face!
> 
>  

_"Merlin?"_ Arthur looks confused but the emotions changed within seconds when Merlin didn't say a word before he charged his way into the apartment passed a shocked looking Arthur _"Merlin are you okay?"_ Arthur sounded concerned as he followed Merlin into the living room

Merlin stood in the warm flat and looked out the one window that looked over London, the sky was dark and the buildings were all lite up making the city look vibrant and alive  

 _"Merlin?"_ Arthur sounded nervous now as he took a step forward and Merlin could hear and feel the blonde man get closer to where he was standing, he took a deep breathe when he felt Arthur right behind him

 _"Merlin you'r......"_ Merlin swung around at that moment pressing his lips to Arthur's halting the words that were leaving his mouth, a shocked sound left Arthur before he relaxed into the kiss with a slight sigh, It wasn't the best kiss they'd shared but having Arthur's lips on his again felt right and he realized in that moment how much he'd missed the feeling; he pressed closer to Arthur pressing their bodies together tighter feeling the warmth mingle between them and deepened the kiss, Arthur quickly took control when he grabbed Merlin's dark locks between his fingers and Merlin yielded without complaint letting Arthur take over because right now he needed someone to take control

 

They kissed for what seemed a life time before their lungs made them part for much needed air, they stood brow to brow in silence for a while just holding onto one another as if some force would soon come and rip them apart

 

 _"I've missed you"_ Merlin whispered before he lent forward and captured Arthur's lips again; feeling Arthur's lips curl into a smile made everything click back into place for him, the times before the incident, the love they'd shared and the memories they'd created together

 _"God Merlin"_ Arthur was out of breath when he spoke but the smile that over took his face was the look Merlin would treasure for his whole life "I've missed you so much" he spoke the words onto Merlin's lips before kissing him again

 

They didn't let go of one another even when they moved from the living room to the bedroom, Arthur thankfully was more with it and was able to direct them both to the bed without causing any injury to either of them or any off the furniture

 

****

 

Merlin lay with his head on Arthur's chest that night just enjoying the feeling of being back here, he just listening to the rhythmic beats of Arthur's heart he whispered _"I love you"_ into his skin,  he felt the blonde tense up before he was flipped onto his back in a quick movement that made him squeak in surprise 

 _"God Merlin"_ Arthur hugged him tightly making it hard to breath in all the right ways before Arthur dove in for a kiss which Merlin met half way _"I love you, i love you"_ Arthur kept repeating it giving him a deep kiss each time he said it and Merlin gave back just as much because everything felt right again

 

 

> _They had many things to sort out before everything was right again between them but right now in this very moment it was as if the darkness that passed over their relationship never happened._


End file.
